


Roses Are Falling

by FlamingoSkull



Series: Roses are Falling [1]
Category: A Hat in Time (Video Game)
Genre: Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Half Fire Spirit Conductor, Insecurity, M/M, Mutual Pining, Not talking about feelings, Pining, Sexual Tension, Tags to be added as I go, Workaholic Conductor, assuming relationships, only one bed trope, trapped at a restort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-26
Updated: 2020-04-14
Packaged: 2021-03-01 04:15:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 21
Words: 21,004
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23329105
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FlamingoSkull/pseuds/FlamingoSkull
Summary: The Conductor ends up getting hurt, but refuses to rest.  DJ Grooves decides to take matters into his own hands.  Too bad it doesn't work out well and now, they're stuck together for a week, sharing a room with one bed.Very unfortunate.
Relationships: The Conductor/DJ Grooves (A Hat in Time)
Series: Roses are Falling [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1713013
Comments: 236
Kudos: 368





	1. can one bird change a lightbulb

**Author's Note:**

> Hi, so this is very self indulgent. Gonna be a multi chapter fic. Hope y'all all enjoy it.

The studio is quiet, not many at work today, at least for the owls. It's preferred that way, considering today is when the Conductor starts trying to write a script, mulling over ideas to see what sticks. He likes his peace and quiet and the owls have learned his schedule over the years, when he starts writing for his next movie.

Shamefully, the owl has been grumbling more than working. Several crumbled pages litter the floor, none even close to the simple trash can in the Conductor's office. It's rare for him to hit a block like this, and it's frustrating him to no end, causing him to tug on his feathers.

He's been making a  _ bloody list  _ at this point, just ideas to scribble down. He bites at his pen, looking over it.

_ Sheriff helps some poor city slicker- _

Ugh, no, been done. 

_ A new worker on a ranch works closely with a cowboy- _

He hurriedly scratches that one, rolling his eyes. 

_ Two cowboys share a- _

He scratches it out so hard that he ends up ripping the paper and the Conductor loudly snaps, "Peck!"

Trash, all lousy and boring. And not his style at  _ all _ . Why his head is giving him ideas for a  _ romance  _ movie is beyond him. Romance is...ugh, complicated. Pointless. The Conductor and his films are action oriented, about survival, living life alone and toughening it out. As it  _ should  _ be.

Bloody peck, he needs coffee.

He shoves away his papers, huffing as he leaves his office. He needs caffeine, something to give him a boost. Hell, maybe even a cigarette at this point. 

The kitchen is situated between the two sets, for everyone. He barely sees anyone use it, except maybe small groups, but he hopes no one is there. Especially moon penguins. Peck necks always just stare him down.

Luckily, only an owl is there. The fella is squinting at a laptop, not realizing the Conductor was there until he was halfway in the room. The owl then flinches, eyes widening as he blinks. "O-oh! Sir, I didn't see you."

The Conductor grunts. He opens the cabinet, reaching-

For the coffee beans that are no longer there. His ears droop slightly, and he checks the cabinet next to it. Nothing. He checks the others, and starts to growl by the fifth one.

"Uhm, sir?" The owl asks and the Conductor snaps his gaze to him, growling, " _ Where  _ is the coffee?"

"Oh, uh, we ran out yesterday but Danny says he'll grab some...tomorrow…" He gets quieter the more he talks, sinking into his seat. The Conductor stares at him, before letting out a heavy sigh.

Of all the  _ days. _

"Peck!" He snarls and slams his fist down on the counter. The owl (and he finally realizes his name is bloody Luke) flinches, almost falling out of his seat at this point. And then, the light above Conductor flickers, before it turns off completely. Conductor gapes at the light, staring at it before he feels a growl rising from inside him and, "DAMN IT!"

His feathers are puffed out now, absolutely furious as he stomps over to one of the chairs, harshly grabbing it as he moves under the light.

"Sir? What are you-"

"Fixin' the peckin' light!" He snaps, climbing onto the chair.

"I can call someone-" Lucas moves towards him and the Conductor scoffs at the suggestion. "I ain't hirin' someone to fix a  _ light. _ I can do it myself."

"A  _ ladder _ at least." Lucas sounds desperate and the Conductor glances at him, spotting the worried eyes. He can't help but chuckle. "Lad, I've been fixin'  _ trains  _ my whole life. A bloody light is easy."

He stands on the chair, huffing as it wobbles. He steadies himself and looks up at the broken lamp, reaching up to take the bulb out. His fingers graze over it and he grimaces, realizing how old these things must be. No wonder it broke, he should just replace all of them.

He turns it. The old bulb cracks and before he can process it, it shatters in his hands, breaking off into his hand. He flinches back, and the chair is suddenly sliding out from under him.

He hits the ground hard, on his back. His head thumps back against the floor and his vision spins, pain spreading through his body quickly. His vision blurs and the room is tilting, making him nauseous. 

He blacks out.


	2. sometimes your hand is forced and your rival is an idiot

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all of the support <3 This fic will be updated infrequently. Might be a lot in one day or a week apart, but I do plan on finishing it.

"He's okay, just at home resting."

Grooves had heard about the Conductor's fall through gossip. From Boris loudly laughing about it, to Connie whispering it to Ziggy, and now from an actual express owl. The owl is playing with his tie, chatting softly to the other owls in the group.

"He  _ fell _ ?" One of them asks, incredulously. Grooves peeks over, seeing one of them nod.

"Luke said he was fixing a lightbulb and, like, glass broke or something and suddenly he was on his back, knocked out."

"Well...at least he'll have a break."

Grooves shakes his head, turning the music up in his headphones. The Conductor getting hurt isn't new. He's always breaking something, cutting something, ruining something. Everything about him is destructive, just a furious fire who never goes out. And, like every other time he's been injured, the Conductor has ignored all advice of  _ resting. _ Grooves has always seen him here, never a day he's  _ not  _ somewhere in the studio.

If it was anyone else, Grooves would pull them aside and tell them it's not healthy, to work like this. To pass out in your office and be here such long hours. But the Conductor is an annoyingly stubborn bird. In fact, Grooves is positive those doors are about to slam open and-

The studio entrance doors are slammed open, almost breaking from the force. The Conductor stands there, his ears low and his feathers a mess. His usual hat is slanted on his head, hastily put on, with the buttons on his jacket undone. His tie just hangs loose around his neck, looking downright pathetic compared to his usual self. Grooves stares at the Conductor, his brows furrowing as he quickly turns his music off.

He's never seen the owl like this. He's seen him mad and furious, drunk and giddy, quiet and sad, but he's never seen him so...tired. His mouth is turned into a deep scowl, his chest heaving as he makes his way into the studio. Grooves quickly realizes that the Conductor's frown isn't just him angry, it's him in  _ pain. _

"Sir-" one of the owls starts, rushing over only to be pushed away by Conductor, who hisses out, "Peck off."

"Please, rest-" Another is asking him, only to be met with a snapped, "I'm  _ fine _ !"

DJ Grooves doesn't move away from the Receptionist's desk as the Conductor moves over. Even his movement is off, shuffled and lazy, tired. Not his usual confident stride, his walk is the walk of a man too tired to care. Or, in Conductor's case, too  _ stubborn _ .

He gets to the counter and grabs files out of the Receptionist's hands, who just stares at his boss. He shakily grabs a pen, trying to write something. Grooves looks at his handwriting, seeing that it's so much more shakier than usual.

"Sir,  _ please _ -" An owl steps forward, only to flinch back when Conductor snarls, "Peck  _ off _ , Alex."

Alex turns his gaze to Grooves, and the penguin can see that pleading look. He glances around the room and sees all eyes on him, both the owls and his penguins. While most of the owls look anxious and worried, his penguins look tense, ready for a fight if need be. He looks back at Conductor, the man's shoulders so tense as he struggles to write.

Well. He really didn't want his morning to be spent like this.

He touches the small of Conductor's back, and frowns at the low hiss he hears from the other. He moves so he's closer, eyeing everyone else to give them space. The owls quickly do so and his penguins make no move to get closer.

He looks back at the Conductor and sees him tightly gripping the pen, his beak clenching up from the obvious pain. Grooves trails his hand up the Conductor's back, watching him drop the pen and grip the desk tightly, his ears pinned down against his head.

"You take medicine?" He asks him quietly. The owl growls, "Don't need it."

"You clearly do, darling." He murmurs. He hates how tense the Conductor looks, how stiff he seems. It isn't the same as his anger, his feathers all puffed up, or when Grooves teases him to see his face get red. When he does that, it’s fun and exciting, to rile the bird up like that. But this? This makes Grooves uneasy, put off by the sight of someone like the Conductor looking so tired.

"I need to  _ work _ ." The Conductor huffs and Grooves rolls his eyes. Of course. Work is everything to the other, and Grooves is certain that even  _ if  _ he managed to get the other to go home, he'd be marching right back here. He can't just be forced back home.

He needs something else.

"I have medicine on me, at  _ least  _ take that." Grooves grumbles, reaching into his pocket. He opens a pill bottle and hands the Conductor a green capsule. The owl starts to growl and Grooves just shoves it closer.

" _ Fine _ , ya bloody drama queen." He snatches it and swallows it down with no water. He goes back to trying to write, his pen shaky. Grooves watches as his shoulders sag, the Conductor leaning more heavily on the desk, until he's sliding and leaning against Grooves.

The owl starts to fall back and Grooves hurriedly catches him. He looks over him briefly, asleep in his arms, before he grunts and picks him up, a hand under his legs and on his back.

"Boss?" He hadn't noticed his penguins moving closer. Boris is the one who spoke, reaching out with his hand.

"I got him. Gave him some of my sleeping pills." He says, holding him. It's easy to carry the Conductor, thankfully. He's small with hollow bones, and barely any fat on him save for a little in his stomach. 

"Is that  _ safe _ ?" Alex asks and Grooves scoffs, "Didn't have many options, darling. If I got him home, he'd be back here in an hour."

He winces, looking away. "S-so, what now?"

"Well, you go get him a suitcase. I know he has his stuff around here, he practically  _ lives  _ here." Grooves shakes his head in exasperation. "Boris here will show you where my car is, go put it in there."

The owl hurriedly does so, Boris following him. The others stay, eyeing Grooves as an owl asks, "So, what are you gonna do?"

"Taking him to the Birdhouse."


	3. a peaceful drive

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song is "Love Hangover" by Diana Ross. It's good.

_ If there's a cure for this _

_ I don't want it _

_ Don't want it  _

_ If there's a remedy _

_ I'll run from it _

_ From it _

_ Think about it all the time _

_ Never let it out of my mind _

_ 'Cause I love you _

_ I got the sweetest hangover _

_ I don't wanna get over _

Grooves taps his hand against the steering wheel, listening to his music. It's been awhile since he's had a longer drive like this, not having much time these days sadly. A shame, really. He has a nice car, a roomy cherry red one he got about five years ago.

He supposes now is a good time to enjoy a drive, even if it's for something...like this.

He glances at the Conductor. The man is still out, his head against the window. He looks so still, save for the slight rise and fall from his chest. In any other circumstances, Grooves would take the time to actually look at him, take the sight of him sleeping in. If only because it's so rare to see. The owl seems to always be moving, snapping his head about, yelling, doing  _ something. _ He's very active, doing a majority of things himself including his own stunts.

Grooves can't deny it, it's impressive to see it. He does his own stunts as well, but he doesn't care for action in his movies. He's had plenty back in his youth, he much prefers sharing a story more fantastical, more fun. The stuff he's seen the Conductor do are...amazing. He still remembers one from the earlier years, when Conductor filmed a bar fight scene. The way he fought had made Grooves pause and stare. Even now, Grooves felt himself getting red remembering it, the way Conductor could dodge, how he handled a knife, how he disarmed a man with a gun in the scene. And then at the end, when he was done and saw Grooves, and he just  _ smirked _ .

Grooves shakes his head hard. No point in  _ that  _ right now. He focuses on the road, trying to distract himself by taking in the scenery. The Alpines are a large, mountainous region, very different from the desert where his studio is, or the bustling city of his home. He doesn't know too much about the folks here, since they live so high up and have no desire to be anywhere else.

In fact, the only place among these mountains he knows is the Birdhouse. It's a well known place among birds, a relaxing retreat, sort of. Run by folks who live on these mountains, it was made into a place for bird kind to relax. And it's the perfect place to throw the Conductor and  _ force  _ him to relax.

Grooves hears groaning and he quickly turns his music off. He glances over, and he sees the Conductor slowly moving his head, obviously still in a daze. He yawns loudly, arching his back as he stretches, only to flinch and whimper slightly in pain. "Wh-"

The owl looks at the window, at the seat belt he's wearing, and then at Grooves.

"Did you drug me?" He asks, quietly.

Grooves blinks. "Did I-"

"DJ Grooves,  _ did you drug me _ ?"

"I gave you a sleeping p-"

" _ You gave me a  _ **_sleeping pill_ ** ." Grooves grips the wheel as he feels the beginning of that famous rage of the Conductor. The heavy breathing, the growling, and he can tell his feathers are puffing up.

"YOU GAVE  _ ME  _ A  **_SLEEP PILL_ ** -"

"YES! Because you're a stubborn idiot!" Grooves snaps back, his knuckles starting to turn white from gripping the wheel.

"YE BLOODY, NO GOOD, SECOND RATE-" The Conductor starts going at it, tugging hard on the seat belt.

"Stubborn fool." Grooves resorts back, his voice low and his own growl coming out now.

"INFURIATING-"

"Egotistical-"

"PRETENTIOUS-"

"Uptight-"

"GARISH-

"Vulgar-"

" _ PECK NECK!" _

"Cowboy  _ knock off _ ."

They're both huffing now, the air tense and electric as they eye each other. He sees the Conductor's hands twitching, before he growls and tries to open the door. "Get me  _ out, _ why the  _ peck  _ ain't it open-"

"Child safety lock." Grooves hisses.

The Conductor screams in frustration, tugging harshly on the feathers on his cheek. He sinks down into his seat, breathing heavily before he crosses his arms and actually  _ pouts _ .

The rest of the drive is quiet and strained, both of them refusing to speak to the other. Grooves slowly calms down, breathing in and out slowly, a trick he learned back in the day. He tells himself he just has to deal with this right now, drop the Conductor off and leave.

His saving grace is they were close when the Conductor woke up. A homely sign rests near the road,  **The Birdhouse** painted in blue on it. He drives his car on, until he has to stop, a trail now leading up the mountain.

He looks at the Conductor. He's still pouting.

Grooves leaves his car, walking to the other side and opening Conductor's door. The owl starts to growl and Grooves leans into him, causing him to abruptly stop as he tries and fails to move away because of the seat belt.

"Now, me and you can walk there, like civilized birds. Or, Conductor, I can carry you there,  _ bridal style. _ " He speaks low, quietly, a slight growl in his voice.

"You wouldn't-"

"I  _ would. _ You have hollow bones, darling. And you aren't that heavy. I could  _ easily  _ carry you."

They stare at each other, their beaks almost touching as they both start to growl and glare. But, the Conductor snarls, "Fine," and again attempts to take his seat belt off. Grooves watches for a second before he does it for him. The Conductor thanks him by slapping his hands away afterwards.


	4. perfectly calm

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For the sake of this fic, the Birdhouse looks different. Let's just all roll with this, okay, it's fine.

The trek upwards is a short one, thankfully. DJ Grooves stays behind the Conductor, both to make sure he doesn't make a break for it to run away, and to catch him if he falls back. They follow the path up the mountain until it leads to a clearing, with the most noticeable thing being a hot air balloon.

It's a massive thing, red and blue in color. The basket is roomy and inside is a tall and lanky eagle, who seems to be reading. Grooves nudges the Conductor forward as he says, "Hello there, darling, I called ahead earlier to make sure this  _ rambunctious  _ gentleman gets to the Birdhouse."

Grooves smiles as Conductor starts puffing up, already growling. The eagle flips a page on his book, not looking up. As the silence lingers, Grooves starts to frown.

"Er, darling?" He taps the eagle's shoulder now and his head whips up, eyes widening slightly before he calmly closes his books. He faces them and starts moving his hands. Grooves stares at the movements, confused, until he suddenly realizes.

"Oh! Uh, I can't-"

"He said get on and he'll take us." Conductor huffs, still puffed up as he slides into the basket. Grooves watches him, staring as the Conductor signs something back. The eagle watches and then nods. He looks at Grooves and points before he does a follow motion.

Grooves gets in, glancing at the Conductor, who huffs at him and crosses his arms, his ears pinned close to his head in anger.

The balloon slowly lifts them up. The eagle ignores them, staring out into the sky as he controls the balloon. They drift higher and higher, and Grooves relaxes a bit as he feels a rush of cold air.

"Bloody freezin'." Conductor huffs.

"Ain't that bad, darling."

"You  _ would  _ say that."

They go quiet after that. Grooves lets his eyes drift over to the Conductor. Sleeping in the car seems to have made him slightly better, he's not wobbling as much as he did at the studio, but he still looks bad. It still is weird to see him so disheveled, his tie loose and feathers desperately needing a preen. It makes Grooves feel odd, uneasy. Concerned.

He sighs. "...so, you know sign language?" He speaks softly, glancing at the owl. Grooves has never been good with silence, and he definitely doesn't want it now when the Conductor looks like this.

The Conductor's ears flick, a sign he heard Grooves. He stays quiet, his beak clicking. "...aye. One of the grandkids is deaf, so, ah...me an' the daughter been teaching ourselves. So we can teach him when he lil older."

"Oh...and how is she?"

"Fine."

They trail off once more, silence lingering between them.

Grooves is so thankful when the Birdhouse comes into sight, sighing in relief. He ignores the huffs of the Conductor, waiting for the balloon to land before he gets out.

The place is huge, buildings on top of buildings, with several birds walking around. The temperature is warmer than the ride here, but is pleasant, the perfect weather to sleep. The Birdhouse connects to the mountain and trails lead along it, Grooves able to spy trees circling it. A nice vacation spot, honestly.

A hooded figure quickly walks up to them. Her yellow eyes are bright as she holds a hand out. "Hello! Welcome to the Birdhouse! My name is Nadia and I'll help you settle in for the week. We  _ do  _ have a no phone policy here, so we ask you to give the phones to Abdul here so he may keep them safe." She motions behind them.

Grooves flinches as he glances over and sees a giant goat, looking down at them. He holds out a large hand, and Grooves and Conductor quickly hand off their phones. Abdul nods slowly, before he starts walking towards the building.

Nadia motions for them to follow. "We are  _ overjoyed  _ you have decided to stay at the Birdhouse! Our facility includes the best rooms, the best food, and the best experience for our feathered friends. Since this is the first time you two are staying here, it is free! That is how confident we are you shall return."

Grooves nods along, until he processes the “you two” part and laughs, the Conductor scoffing. "Oh, no, darling, it's just for him. I'm leaving on-"

He glances back, and does a double take when the balloon is gone. He stares at the empty spot.

"Where is he?" He looks at Nadia, who blinks.

"The balloon." Grooves forces himself to speak calmly, even as he sees the Conductor starting to smirk.

"Oh! You mean Apollo. He left. But he shall be back next week." Nadia explains happily. Grooves stares, trying very hard to ignore the Conductor who is now  _ laughing _ .

"Call him back." Grooves is desperate now, as he realizes what is happening. And no, no he  _ refuses. _

"I...can't?" She tilts her head in confusion. "He has left. He will not be back until next week."

No. No. Absolutely  _ not. _

The Conductor is cackling, his smile cruel as he says, "Well, ye stuck here now, DJ  _ Groooves. _ "

Please, god, no. The penguin runs a hand down his face, his eyes squeezing shut as he tries so hard to not throw the Conductor off the mountain. He sighs, counting to five, before he finally says, "Okay...well...how much is a room?"

"Oh...are you two no-"

"No." Grooves says firmly and the Conductor laughs harder.

"Oh...well...it is unfortunately a new room, so, no longer free. Now, it is ten thousand pons." 

Grooves almost chokes. The Conductor laughs even harder and Grooves can feel a headache very quickly coming on. Oh god.

"So, I. Have to share a room. With him." Grooves finally says and now, the Conductor stops laughing, coughing as he screeches, "EXCUSE ME?"

Nadia blinks. "...yes?"

The Conductor gapes, opening his beak several times before he snaps his head over to Grooves, growling, " _ Great. _ This ye plan for me to  _ rest _ ? Gettin' stuck here with  _ you _ ?"

"I'm not happy either." Grooves grinds his beak together, and closes his eyes as the Conductor stomps towards the building, yelling, "GREAT! PECKIN' GREAT! GOOD JOB, GROOVES! I FEEL CALMER  _ ALREADY _ !"

Grooves opens his eyes in time to see the owl kick over a trash can, screeching even louder, his feathers all puffed up. The penguin simply watches him, as he marches into the building, still huffing up a storm.

Nadia stares, before she turns to Grooves and says, "He seems nice."

Grooves sighs.


	5. old bird

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel weirdly bad about updating this so much?????? It's weird, but I'm a fast thinker and typer and it's how I roll so if it's annoying you, I am Super Super Sorry.

The Conductor has never, ever, in his life felt this angry.

He's a grumpy owl typically, and he's aware of this, but  _ this _ ? No, this is actual fury. He wants to destroy something, blow it up. He wants to take Grooves and squeeze his hands around that stupid neck. He breathes heavily as he stomps to the room, the only time he stops is to snatch a key card from some nomad, who at least flinches back and is smart enough to leave him alone.

In the room, he slams the door, not really caring if his neighbors get mad. He  _ hates  _ this. He hates this room, this stupid clean room with plain sheets and  _ nothing  _ else. It's so empty, everything about it, and already the Conductor craves to be back at his office. Or, hell, he'd settle for his home. Those places have photos, documents, paper, stuff to easily distract him. Here? None of that. They expect him to  _ sit here  _ like some  _ old geezer. _

He's never felt so humiliated.

The Conductor has done everything by himself. He fixes his train, he writes his scripts, he does his own stunts, raised his daughter, paid for college,  _ everything _ has been things he's done alone. He's always been capable of doing them. Now, suddenly, just because he falls off a peckin' chair, everyone looks at him differently.

He catches sight of himself in the bathroom mirror and he ends up freezing. He stares at himself, his feathers a mess and his clothes worse for wear, not at all his usual nice and neat clothing. His ears flick and he scowls at the gray he sees starting to show on them.

...he hasn't looked in a mirror in awhile. His ears droop slightly and his shoulders sag. His feathers have lost their color a bit from age, and staring at his face, he can spot more spots of gray along his cheeks. He looks...very old. 

Is this how Grooves sees him? Some old bird? 

He shakes his head at the thought of Grooves, and quickly shuts the door to the bathroom so he doesn't see himself again. It doesn't  _ matter  _ how  _ Grooves  _ sees him. Grooves is annoying, a materialistic drama queen. His movies are mediocre and his clothes are gaudy.

And he has the prettiest blue eyes.

The Conductor growls in frustration at his thought, running a hand down his face. It's so damn  _ frustrating  _ how long he's had...this. This feeling.

Ugh. It doesn't matter. 

The door opens and the Conductor is able to push away his thoughts, now giving Grooves a glare as he gets into the door, shoving a suitcase on a bed.

"Listen, it's just a  _ week. _ " Grooves grumbles.

"This is  _ your  _ fault." The Conductor snarls, almost satisfied when Grooves whips his head up, his shades almost falling off.

" _ My  _ fault? I'm not the one who went to work when he should  _ rest. _ " Grooves snaps back at him.

" _ I  _ didn't bring us here!"

"I bought  _ you  _ here because you're a  _ workaholic _ !" Grooves matches his volume now, harsh and loud. No where close to some of their screaming matches, but it's still tense and angry, the two birds staring each other down.

"I am  _ not  _ a workaholic!" The Conductor snarls, "I just happen to do my job well, unlike  _ some  _ birds."

"Oh for-" Grooves slams his beak shut, grinding it down. The Conductor smirks at the sight, very aware that meant that Grooves was about to curse before stopping himself, which means  _ he's  _ won this argument.

Peck neck.

He smugly watches Grooves struggle with the suitcase, not bothering to offer help. When the penguin finally opens it, he sighs in relief, "Well-"

He slams his beak shut, glaring at the contents. "Boris packed  _ my  _ clothes."

Grooves sighs as the Conductor suddenly doesn't feel smug anymore, muttering, "what?"

"But, you can wear mine." Grooves groans. "They're big, but better than…" He trails off.

The Conductor stares at him, very slowly processing the fact that, on his  _ vacation  _ (apparently that is what this is), he now will have to wear some  _ hideous  _ clothes.

"The cruise was a better vacation." He mutters to Grooves. The penguin glares, only to blink when the Conductor walks towards the door.

"Where are yo-"

"Gettin' a  _ drink _ ." Is his only answer to Grooves, slamming the door shut behind him.


	6. a whole pack of problems

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stares at my own fridge as I figure out what the Conductor would drink.

There  _ has  _ to be a bar here. There is no way this resort doesn't have one. 

It's very easy to find it, thankfully, and he ignores the looks he gets for walking over to it during the middle of the day. He needs a drink right now, something to burn his throat and distract him, to make things slow down.

"Whiskey." He huffs the second he sits down. The nomad blinks at him slowly, before they say, "Oh...we...ah, don't have whiskey."

"Oh." He clicks his beak in annoyance. Fine. "Vodka then."

The nomad continues to stare at him, glancing away before they reach under the bar. They pull up a pack of orange bottles and the Conductor quickly realizes they're screwdrivers, Smirnoff Ice brand.

He stares at them.

"Does...this count?" The nomad asks, wincing a little when the Conductor looks back at them.

Oh for the love of god, this weak stuff is what  _ Grooves  _ would drink. Something bright and barely able to do anything. He scowls at the stuff, but grabs one bottle, twisting the cap off and taking a swig. He hasn't had a screwdriver since college, but he supposes it'll do.

He takes the pack, muttering, "Fine."

"U-uh, sir, y-you-" The nomad starts to say, but stops as the Conductor looks at them. The bird stares them down and is almost satisfied with how the bartender shrinks a bit. "You...you can't take the pack with you."

The Conductor snarls, but he sets the pack down and sits. For the screwdriver already opened, he chugs it, easily swallowing down the poor excuse for a drink. Drinks are supposed to get you  _ drunk. _ Not even a whole pack of these things will give him the same effect as just a shot of whiskey. Ugh, this is why he hasn't drank one in years. They're  _ useless. _

He's opening another when he hears Grooves, can tell by his footsteps and the intake of breath. And the loud, "It is  _ noon _ ."

"And I wanna drink. Ya point?" He turns to face Grooves, who looks annoyed, furious. Downright gorgeous. The penguin has no right being so pretty, even when he's mad.

The Conductor hates him. He grips his drink tighter at his thoughts and quickly takes a sip of the drink, looking away from Grooves. He needs to stop thinking like this.

Which is hard to do with Grooves hovering over him.

"You need  _ rest _ , not alcohol. You're going to make yourself sick drinking all of this." Grooves huffs at him and the Conductor scoffs. 

"Please, this whole pack is  _ barely  _ my usual amount." He tilts his head back, ready to chug his second bottle when it's snatched away from him. His head whips over to Grooves, who loudly puts the bottle back down on the counter. The Conductor growls, ready to snap at Grooves, yell at him for how this whole thing sucks. Everything about this is awful, and he should be allowed to drink.

He should be allowed this. It's not outrageous, he's drank so much more than this. He knows what he can handle, and knows that even if this doesn't get him over the edge, it'll be close. Close enough to make his head slow down and to be able to not think about work. Not think about Grooves. Not think about how his back hurts so much. Not think about how his chest feels so uneasy  _ not  _ being at work, not doing  _ something _ .

"Please." Grooves says it quietly. He looks at the Conductor and he can see those blue eyes through the glasses when they're this close. The penguin's brows are furrowed and his frown isn't angry.

He's concerned.

The Conductor stares, feeling that uneasy feeling in his chest growing. Grooves doesn't get concerned for him. DJ Grooves should be mad, annoyed, and shouldn't care about him. It throws him for a loop to see that expression directed at him, of all people.

He keeps staring at Grooves and his head starts to note how pretty he is again. How clean he looks, how nice he looks with his broad shoulders. He can feel himself flushing and he  _ hates  _ it, hates this so much. Hates that he still has such a crush on him. He shouldn't. He  _ shouldn't _ .

"Hello, fellow birds!"

The Conductor is thankful when Grooves quits looking at him with that concerned face, and watches as it changes to confusion. The owl looks behind him to see-

"Karl?" He squints at the crow, who smiles and waves. The crow is still dressed in a trenchcoat, but has a rather tacky floral crown on his head and has some ghastly blue drink, with a silly straw.

He really didn't think he'd see an  _ employee  _ here. " _ Why  _ are you here?" He snaps.

"Oh! Me and Hank are on honeymoon, fellow birds!" Karl smiles widely, absolutely fitting the role of newlywed. "Did you not get email? We sent one to let you know, fellow bird."

"Oh. Yeah." He lies. He absolutely refuses to use the computer in his office and has no idea what the hell Karl is talking about. But, it's not like they were filming, so he's not too upset.

"Mhm! Our second one! Hank says breaks are good for us fellow birds." Karl sips from his silly straw, nodding a little.

"I agree." Grooves hums and lightly kicks the Conductor, who snaps his head over at him. The penguin is giving him one of his famous  _ I told you so  _ looks.

"But, it is nice to see you two finally on your honeymoon." Karl hums.

The Conductor blinks, as Grooves makes a choking sound before saying, "Honeymoon?"

Honeymoon.

_ Honeymoon. _

"You think we got MARRIED?!" The Conductor can't help his screech, getting loud as it processes Karl assumed they were _married._ _Him_ and _DJ Grooves._ His face feels hot, very hot, as he sinks down in his seat. His chest feels funny, like something is fluttering, as he loudly laughs, trying hard to hide the nervous panic there, "Me an' Mr. Dramatic?"

Karl stares at them both, still sipping from his straw. He continues to do so, until there is a loud sucking sound and he stops, whispering, "Oh."

It's suddenly very quiet. Grooves looks at his hands, and the Conductor has no idea  _ where  _ to look. Karl just slowly puts his drink down, clearing his throat. "Welp. I shall depart, fellow birds."

He very quickly moves away. The silence lingers and the Conductor glances at the staring bartender. The nomad quickly turns around, grabbing a glass to clean.

Grooves and the Conductor continue to sit in silence.

"You can't just only drink or work." Grooves finally says, barely above a whisper.

"I don't-"

"Name something else then."

The Conductor snaps his beak close. It goes quiet and he sees Grooves' expression starting to soften. He can feel his own feathers prickling up, hating that expression so much. He hates how it makes his chest hurt. "I just don't have time."

"Now you do." Grooves hums and he nudges a brochure over. "They have stuff here. There must be  _ something. _ "

His shoulders sag as he looks at the flimsy paper, not reaching for it. He doesn't need hobbies. He doesn't need to relax. He needs to work. He should be working on something.

"They have movies for rent." Grooves says, softly. The Conductor hates that voice so much. He crosses his arms and leans against the bar, still looking at that paper. 

"I bet they have more of my movies." Grooves' voice is teasing now. And that is familiar. That is something he's used to, that doesn't make him feel so off. That doesn't make him feel the urge to be next to the penguin all the time.

He scoffs, "If they like trash." It's easy to say, easy to do, something not terrifying, "Yer on. Take me to the bloody place so I can win  _ this  _ as well."

He doesn't look at Grooves, doesn't see his reaction. He doesn't want to know if he's smiling.


	7. movies are talked about

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shout out to wonderful Skeleslime-Phantom on tumblr for the headcanon used in this chapter.

It's good to see him like this, even if he's still being horrible. Still bragging about his own movies as Grooves and him go to the rental place in the Birdhouse. For once, Grooves can't feel too upset, considering how the Conductor was at the bar.

"Two so far, Grooves." The owl rolls the rs in his name, a laugh leaving him. He's teasing Grooves, smirking as he looks at him. The penguin rolls his eyes, though he doesn't let his own smile falter. He scans the shelves and it grows. "Mhm...three for me, darling."

The Conductor scoffs. "Yeah, and they have  _ Penguin Night Fever  _ among them, ya worse one."

"Oh, it is  _ not. _ You just hate romance."

"Because it's all so,  _ ugh _ . Predictable." He huffs as he pulls movies off the shelves, squinting at them. Grooves smirks as he pulls one of the Conductor's movies off the shelves. He holds it out in front of the owl. "Oh and I'm guessin'  _ Crowback Mountain  _ doesn't have predictable romance?"

The Conductor flusters for a second, "Of  _ course  _ it don't! It's 'bout two men fallin' in love in the great open of nature! They don't even  _ get  _ together at the end. Also, that counts as three for me now, peck neck."

"Don't get together?" He glances at the box as the Conductor huffs at him. "Yes. Didn't ye see it?"

"Do you see any of  _ my  _ movies?"

The Conductor doesn't answer, which itself is an answer. Grooves puts back the film and gasps a little when another film catches his eye. The Conductor watches him as he pulls out a box and then proceeds to groan, "Oh  _ bloody  _ hell, Grooves-"

"It's a romantic movie." He holds  _ Pebble and the Penguin  _ close to his chest, not all fazed by the Conductor's look.

"It's  _ trash. _ "

"Yes, but it's trash I happen to love." Grooves is aware the movie has it's faults, but he grew up on this film. "Besides, you've never seen it."

"Because it sucks." 

"Oh, come on, watch it with me. That's why we're here. I'll even let you make fun of it." Grooves scans the shelves for more movies as he speaks. He  _ knows  _ Conductor will laugh at it, and honestly so will Grooves. He hasn't seen the movie in ages, but he's an actual director now. There is no way the movie isn't being made fun of.

The Conductor groans, but doesn't protest. He sees the owl get on his tiptoes as he swivels his head around, looking at all the movies. He pulls one out and lets out a bark of laughter. " _ What  _ is this?"

Grooves looks over and smiles. "Ohhh,  _ Rock a Doodle. _ We  _ have  _ to watch that one." He grabs it from the Conductor who yelps, "NO, we do not!"

"Yes, we do."

"It has a  _ bloody rocker rooster  _ on it!" The Conductor follows Grooves, who laughs, " _ Exactly. _ Conductor, trust me. You  _ need  _ to see it."

The Conductor is huffing, moving ahead of Grooves. He has a spring back in his step, and even if his feathers are puffed up, he's smirking. He watches the owl continue to look around, and doesn't even roll his eyes when he points at another film of his and proudly says, "Four."

The Conductor falters when he sees something, quickly pulling it out. Grooves leans over him, curious to see what made the owl pause. In his hands is an older film, with a smiling fox in the cover.  _ Markus Coleman's Robin Hood _ is on the cover of it in gold, shining under the light.

"Oh, I haven't seen this in ages." Conductor says it quietly, running his thumb over the cover. "Used to watch it all the time when I was a wee lad."

"Really?" Grooves can't help his smile, "I did, too. One of my favorites of his."

The Conductor's ears perk up as he faces Grooves. He looks surprised. " _ You've  _ seen Markus Coleman's movies?"

"Of course I have, who  _ hasn't  _ seen them? That man is a genius." Grooves smiles wider as the Conductor's own smile grows and it's the happiest he's seen him in a while.

"Oh, I know, his shots are perfect! The angles, the landscape, he knew how to make a scene  _ look  _ good! And his fighting scenes!" The Conductor starts to ramble and Grooves lets him, never having seen him talk so animatedly about someone else's movies before. His ears are all perked up, his tail feathers wagging slightly, and his hands move quickly as he speaks. 

Grooves is mentally kicking himself for not realizing Conductor would also like Markus' films. Of course he does. Grooves and him are around the same age, and it makes sense they both grew up on them. Markus Coleman was such a big name back in the day, the puffin having been such an esteemed director. He had won award after award for his adventure films.

"Do you want to watch it?" Grooves asks the Conductor, and the owl pauses. He looks down at the film. "I...dunno, I haven't seen it in so long."

"Well, I mean, we did come here to watch pick out movies to watch. Probably good we have a movie that's actually not garbage to watch." Grooves chuckles lightly, Conductor scoffing before chuckling as well.

"...fine, fine, peck neck. I'd love to watch it again."


	8. a really bad movie

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A new chapter will prrrobably be soonish more than later today just because my head has been buzzing to write this fic and keep going and the next chapter will introduce some boyos and take a little step away from *gestures at Grooves and Conductor* you know. this mess. Also pov change in middlish because would have been too short otherwise, meh, whatever. Write how you want to write, kiddos, who is gonna stop you?

They laugh loud at the scene before them, the television being the only light in the room. The sun had set not too long ago and now the Conductor and Grooves sit side by side on the bed, watching  _ Pebble and the Penguin. _

And, as the Conductor predicted, it's trash. It's full of romantic drivel that Grooves still coos over, but the characters are so dramatic about it. And  _ of course  _ it's a musical film, a song happening for every two scenes it feels like. It's so over the top, and both of the directors are chuckling and snickering at it. 

"I can't believe you  _ willingly  _ watch this." The Conductor smirks at Grooves, the light of the television dancing on his face.

"My family likes musicals." Grooves shakes his head fondly. "Come on, you know kids would love this,  _ especially  _ your grandkids."

"Oh, peck off." The Conductor laughs again, even if he knows it's true. His grandkids are still too young to understand  _ real  _ art right now, much more focused on biting things.

Their shoulders touch as they sit, and as the movie goes on, the Conductor ends up leaning into Grooves' space. A part of him doesn't realize he's doing it, only drawn to the amount of warmth Grooves' body gives off. And another part is very aware how close they are now. Grooves says nothing, doesn't push him away.

In fact, he leans back. His head lays on top of the Conductor's, who stares at the television. It's just because it's comfortable, he thinks, as he tries hard to not think about how nice Grooves smells or how soft he is. It's just comfortable.

They stay like that as the movie continues, and it becomes easier to not think about. He feels Grooves shift, and a lazy nip goes to the back of his ear.

The Conductor straightens up quickly, his face feeling hot as he says, "Uh-"

"Oh! Oh, I, sorry-" he hears the confusion in Grooves' voice as well, shock there. "I-I was preening."

Oh. The Conductor still feels hot, his heart hammering. Preening isn't bad, preening is a social thing. Lots of people do it. His head is racing with thoughts right now, as he processes. Grooves was just preening him, because he probably still looks bad. Nothing else. Nothing else.

"Oh." He says, finally, and he should move away. He should get up.

"Is...that okay?" Grooves asks him very quietly. The Conductor swallows. He should say no.

But Grooves is warm. And it's just preening, and that's something that hasn't been done to him in a long time. He usually preens himself, to get it over with.

...it felt nice when the penguin did it, though.

He sinks a little against Grooves. "Yes." 

Slowly, Grooves' beak goes back to the base of his ear. It gently pulls the feathers there, and the Conductor leans even more against Grooves. The movie is a distant hum now as he relaxes, the movements of Grooves calming him down quickly.

It's been awhile since he's felt this. A beak carefully running over his feathers, tugging gently. Grooves nips gently as he goes down to the Conductor's jaw, straightening up the feathers there.

His head is hazy, feeling more tired as Grooves continues. The Conductor is aware he's turning his head, him and Grooves facing each other. Their beaks click against each other, and his ears flick at the small noise Grooves makes, a small intake of breath.

The Conductor gently preens Grooves' neck feathers, dully thinking about how that spot always looks so fluffy, his feathers always sticking out. Grooves tilts his head up, giving the Conductor more access as he nips there, tugging at the feathers.

He's aware that he's gripping Grooves' jacket, as he nips his way up his neck. And, he kisses his neck and it's no longer preening as he trails up Grooves neck. Their beaks touch again and he can feel Grooves breath against him, and he hears the quiet, "Conductor?"

Oh.

Oh god what is he doing?

Very quickly, he realizes what he's done. Realizing he was  _ kissing  _ Grooves' neck. His hands shake as he backs off, as he hastily gets out of bed. He was about to-

The Conductor quickly grabs a handful of clothes from Grooves' suitcase and quickly says, "I’m gonna go shower."

He's quick to leave, going to the bathroom and shuts the door. He turns on the light and it's harsh, and he presses his back to the door.

Idiot.

Pecking idiot.

You goddamn  _ moron _ . 

He sets the clothes down on the floor, sinking down with them. He tugs at his feathers, messing up the ones Grooves just fixed.

Grooves  _ doesn't  _ like him. This was just  _ him  _ being an idiot. A jackass who can't handle being preened because he hasn't let anyone do that in years.

He sighs. Okay. He's going to shower, cool off. Get dressed. And he's going to...forget this. Ignore it. Not  _ think  _ about it.

The Conductor sighs.

\----

Grooves stares at the ceiling, still processing. Okay, so, maybe preening was stupid on his part, to be honest he has no idea why he did it. Maybe because he's just used to doing that if someone is next to him. His family is so natural about it, and him and the penguins preen each other all the time.

But it  _ never  _ turned into...that. Yes, with some of his dates back in the day, and preening was more of an afterwards thing, but still. 

And preening has never left him this confused. Him and the Conductor  _ hate  _ each other, can't stand each other. They don't like each other.

Grooves sits up, his brows furrowing. The Conductor is rude, and mean. And he's loud and passionate. He gets angry so quickly and his accent is cute to hear. He has a rugged appearance that is  _ very  _ nice, especially with his grays starting to show. But  _ oh god  _ he's awful. And he has a dumb smirk, and speaks softly to his grandchildren, and looks so handsome sometimes-

Oh no. No. Absolutely not.

DJ Grooves does  _ not  _ have a crush on the Conductor. The owl who hates him, who insults his films. The man who can win so easily. He's egotistical, blunt, harsh.  _ Why  _ would he like him? In fact, why would the Conductor like  _ him _ ? DJ Grooves, always second best. The penguin who is never good enough. The guy who is so used to simply mingling and never being in a relationship that he  _ preened the Conductor. _

The penguin groans and rubs his face.

The door opens and he looks over at the Conductor. He still has on his old clothes and Grooves didn't hear a shower. They stare at each other and finally, the Conductor says, "That didn't happen."

"Yes." Grooves quickly says. They continue to stare, until the owl nods and moves to the bed. He climbs in, his back to Grooves. The penguin stares before rolling over, mimicking the Conductor.

He stares at the wall. He feels...relief. That he can ignore this. That he can pretend. That he doesn't have to think about he'll never be good enough for the Conductor.


	9. cooper and niles

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> uh, so I know I said this one would have been posted soon, but I have a good excuse. I was watching a friend color a Conductor and got very distracted so I apologize Also sorry this is just ocs, it's kinda important to the story, i promise. I'll try hard to get the next chapter up since it's the old men again

" _Where_ the _peck_ is Grooves?"

Cooper has gotten used to a lot of things since working under the Conductor. Explosives, screaming, knives in random places, props going missing and ordering a crateful of them only to find the missing ones an hour later. He should, honestly, be used to loud noises.

And _yet_ , when a moon penguin slams open the set door, Cooper still jumps. The owl whips his head around to face the furious bird, backing up slightly in shock. He glances around and his shoulders sag when he remembers being picked to clean the set tonight. The owls rotate the job, and today is Cooper's, which means the owl is now alone with a very mad penguin.

Oh dear.

" _Well?_ " The penguin demands.

"He...isn't with...uh, y'all?" He gestures at them.

"What? No, he hasn't come back yet." The penguin huffs, crossing his arms. Cooper blinks as he realizes the situation, and he stands up straighter, "Wait, from the Birdhouse? That's...not right."

The drive is a tad long, but it's been the majority of the day. Grooves should have been back by now. Oh lord, did they end up fighting again? Did the Conductor grab the wheel or something? Did they crash? Oh god, is he going to need a new job?

The penguin snaps in front of his face, causing Cooper to blink before looking down at him, the penguin saying, "Okay, obviously, something is wrong."

He tugs on Cooper's sleeve, the owl yelping as he's dragged. "W-wait! What are we doing?"

"Driving to the Birdhouse." He drags Cooper out of the studio, to a dark blue car. The owl frowns as he looks over it and says, "Uh, _why_ am I going?"

"If they're in danger, I'll need help and you're easily available. And, I drive better at night if someone is with me." The penguin climbs into his car, raising his brows at Cooper.

This is happening very, very quickly.

But, well, Cooper _is_ curious about why. And he feels uneasy about the idea his boss might be hurt, well, more so than he usually is. And, the Conductor would _probably_ prefer an owl there besides just a moon penguin.

And he really doesn't want to clean the studio.

He nervously climbs in and blinks at the flipper held out to him. "Name's Niles."

"Uh...Cooper." He shakes it and settles, watching as the penguin turns his car on. It purrs to life, a bit startling compared to the slow start up of a train. But, the owl easily settles back, choosing to stare out the window instead of the road.

Niles turns on music.

\----

_WHAT'S NEW PUSSYCAT, WHOAA_

_WHAT'S NEW PUSSYCAT, WHOA, OH WHOA_

_PUSSYCAT, PUSSYCAT, I'VE GOT FLOWERS_

_AND LOTS OF HOURS TO SPEND WITH YOU_

The song has been playing since they left. Cooper is unsure how long it's been, staring at the road as Tom Jones screams at him. He can feel the car vibrating from a bass that doesn't exist, he can feel himself starting to twitch, gripping the seat tighter. 

He glances at the radio screen on the car. **What's New Pussycat - 10 Hours Version** flashes over it and Cooper slowly turns back to the road. The song is rattling inside his head, forcing him to memorize it.

He wants to turn it off, or lower it. But he has no idea if that's polite. He's never _heard_ of this situation. Driving to a resort to check on your bosses and your co worker is blasting Tom Jones at you. Oh god, what if Niles yells at him for lowering the volume? 

The song restarts. No. No. No. No. No. No. No.

_WHAT'S NEW PUSSYCAT_

Cooper slams the off button quickly, jerking his hand back as if he touched fire. Silence fills the car.

It lasts for only a few seconds before Niles clears his throat, "Oh...don't like Tom Jones?"

"Uh...I do, just...not that one." Cooper says lamely, wringing his hands together.

"Oh."

Cooper looks out the window.

"Sorry for the song, I kept thinking about it today." Niles explains, tapping the wheel.

"Oh...so, an earworm?" Cooper blinks at him.

"Haha, what? Gross, is that a thing you owls eat?"

Cooper stares at Niles, before he furrows his brows and says, "What?"

"What?"

Okay. Well. This is awkward.

Cooper sinks into his seat. Soon, the sign for the Birdhouse comes into view and the owl feels immense relief when he's able to walk. 

"His car is here." Cooper blinks at the cherry red car, very aware it's Grooves' vehicle. It doesn't _look_ busted up or ruined, and all the doors and windows seem intact and closed.

"Then _where_ is he?" Niles growls, moving to stand next to Cooper.

"Oh, the penguin and freaky dog?"

Niles screams, jumping into Cooper's arms. The owl puffs up, faltering back as he swivels his head around, staring at the sudden appearance of an orange tabby.

She yawns. "Real loud folks? Old married couple?"

"Uh-"

"Little one has yellow fur? Growly face? Screeches? Penguin dresses like a lost circus act?" The cat continues, her tail lazily curling around her feet as she speaks.

"HEY!" Niles scrambles out of Cooper's arms, marching up to the feline, "That's _DJ Grooves_ you're talking about!"

She stares at him before slowly looking back at Cooper. "Those two?"

"Uh...yeah?"

"Yeah, went up to the House. Woke me up from a nap." She stretches, arching her back a bit as she does so. "Damn, those two really looked like they needed a vacation."

"Wait, are they _both_ up there?" Cooper very suddenly realizes what is happening, why the car is still there, and he pales a bit when the cat nods.

"Well, Grooves isn't supposed to be there! Go get him!" Niles huffs at the cat, who simply moves away from him.

"Apollo runs the balloon, not me. And _he_ doesn't show up until next week."

Oh _no._ No. _Oh please no_.

Niles is huffing up a storm, but Cooper is too preoccupied with how he is _definitely_ going to lose his boss. There is no way Grooves and the Conductor survives this, absolutely not. They _despise_ each other.

"FINE!" Niles yells suddenly and grabs Cooper's hand, dragging him to the car. "Okay, so, we get them in a week!"

"What do we tell the others-"

"I don't know! Tell everyone the truth?" Niles glances at him, "I mean, it should be fine? It's a week, right? They can survive a week?"

They glance at each other. Cooper's frown deepens and Niles glances away.

"It'll...be fine." The penguin mumbles.


	10. morning rituals

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> my cat Tails is Screaming at me because I am on my computer instead of petting him. Wanting you all to know that. Also, thanks so much for the support so far, it means the world to me <3

Someone warm nuzzles against him. The penguin sighs happily, a little surprised whoever he brought home last night is still around. Sleepily, he moves closer and feels his partner shift, their beak nudging up against his own. Grooves chuckles at the sound and nuzzles against their neck instead. Still tired, he tries to remember who he brought home.

They smell like sand, dust, like something wild. A taste hits the back of his throat when he breathes them in, a taste that makes him think of something spiced, that leaves a good burn. It reminds him of summer, of a hot day where he'd love to just stay in the water. He gently nips at their neck, smiling at the small chirp that comes from them.

They feel so familiar, he realizes.

Grooves forces himself to wake up, now curious. He slowly opens his eyes to a mess of orange and yellow feathers, and he furrows his brows before sitting up.

The Conductor groans, shifting as he gets comfortable again, which means nuzzling against Grooves' chest. The penguin stares and suddenly, he remembers, his face flushing hard.

He gently nudges the owl off, who groans but does so. Best that...Grooves get up before he does. He  _ really  _ doesn't want to think about how him and the Conductor were just cuddling each other and he doubts Conductor would take it well.

Grooves rubs his face, sighing. This whole situation is...weird? Weird is a good word. It's definitely opened his eyes to the Conductor, which he's still trying to figure out if it's good or bad. Right now it's...ugh.

He can't think like this when he just woke up. He slides out of the bed, groaning as he grabs some clothes. He slept in his last night and his feathers just feel off.

Oh yikes, he definitely looks bad. He grimaces at the mirror, frowning at his eyebrows and hair all messed up, feathers needing a preen. Well, at least he woke up before the Conductor.

Grooves takes his time, as he does every morning. He hums softly to himself as he runs a pick through his hair, shines his beak, and preens his face. The resort thankfully has a preening tool for faces, since Grooves doesn't have his. Ugh, he can't imagine what he'd do if he couldn't fix his feathers in the morning.

"Will ye bloody hurry up?!" The Conductor slams his fist on the door, causing Grooves to roll his eyes before putting on his shades. "You can come in, darling, I'm done-"

"About damn time!" The owl growls as he marches in. His feathers look much worse than Grooves did and the penguin frowns as Conductor gets closer, shoving the penguin out of the way as he turns on the faucet. "You'd think yer going  _ out  _ for taking so long."

"I take care of my appearance." Grooves hums, "It's the first step of taking care of yourself."

The Conductor scoffs. Grooves looks at the feathers along his jaw and he desperately wants to fix them, help the other preen them or something. Grooves doesn't think as he gets a hand under Conductor's beak, who freezes as Grooves angles his head up. "You know, you have a nice face, I bet you'd catch plenty of people's eye if you preened more."

He has no idea why he said it, to be honest. He's just used to teasing the man and that seemed like an obvious one. But he notices how flushed the Conductor gets, those feathers puffing up. Grooves usually would be smug by this reaction (and he still is), but he feels something else.

Fondness. He thinks the Conductor looks  _ adorable _ .

"GET OUT!" Conductor screams at him, still so flustered as he shoves Grooves out the door, slamming it shut. 

The penguin stands there for a second, finally realizing what he thought. Oh, the Conductor? Adorable? ...well, kinda, he can see it. His reactions  _ are  _ amusing.

Grooves blushes a little as he continues to think. Oh, help him. He can't really have a crush, can he? The Conductor is...the Conductor! Mean. Harsh. Blunt. So loud and passionate. That man is an inferno, making himself known in anything he does.

Okay, Grooves can admit Conductor is attractive. He  _ does  _ have a nice face.

"Ugh, move." Grooves blinks as he realizes the Conductor is done, shoving the penguin out of the way. He looks at the Conductor-

The bird is wearing his clothes, all of it baggy on him, a belt obviously keeping the blue jeans up. He has on a light purple button up, the sleeves rolled up. Grooves stares at those arms, at those orange feathers sticking out. He can't look away at the sight, and continues even as Conductor notices. He never noticed...how nice he actually does look, like, yes, the Conductor is by no means ugly, but Grooves didn’t realize how much he liked looking at him. The cowboy look...fits him, to be honest. Wild, rugged, a kind of attractive ruffien who would sweep the penguin off his feet.

"Will ya stop?" The owl growls. Grooves blinks a bit, forgetting he was staring. He clears his throat and tries to not keep glancing at him, even if it’s hard. And, as he keeps looking, he finally notices the Conductor looks...off. Smaller.

His ears are pinned back, his feathers close to his body. He’s rubbing the back of his neck, and keeps reaching up to tug on the feathers along his cheeks, the ones starting to gray. His movements are...nervous.

"What?" Grooves asks, furrowing his brows. "Stop what?"

"Lookin' at me. Don't need  _ you  _ to tell me how much of a mess I look, alright?" The owl is huffing, refusing to look at Grooves as he stares at the door. "Bad 'nough I have to wear all this, don't need ya insults so early, I haven't even had a drink yet."

He's self conscious. It quickly clicks in Grooves' head, and it shocks him. He's so used to the bird bragging about his movies, that it's startling to see him like this.

The penguin rubs his arm, watching the Conductor fold his clothes up. They both go quiet, Grooves now unsure what to say while the Conductor still has his ears pinned to his head. Annoyed, angry, defensive.

"I'm gonna go walk." He says suddenly, his shoulders tense. On reflex, Grooves wants to follow him, tell him to stay here, just because he assumes the owl will go to the bar.

The Conductor doesn’t wait for an answer, not looking at Grooves as he leaves.


	11. the entertainer

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I Went Feral With This, cheers.

_ You have a nice face. _

He keeps thinking about that comment. He thinks about it after Grooves says it, when he's staring at a mirror and his face is flushed even after shoving Grooves out of the bathroom. He thinks about it as he stares at his face, his large beak, his graying feathers, his too long ears, his square jaw. He thinks about it as he stares at the shape of his feathers on his cheeks, the ones that curl up.

And make him look like a fox. A weird, misshapen thing, like looking at yourself in muddy water. 

_ You have a nice face. _

He hates that comment. He can't get it out of his head, as he automatically starts walking to the bar. He hates that comment. He hates his face, he hates these clothes. All of it makes him stand out, makes it obvious to everyone he isn't a bird. His feathers begin to puff up, and he walks faster.

The bar is more crowded today and it makes him falter. He's surprised to feel anxiety rising inside him, something he hasn't felt in  _ years _ . It was more familiar to him as a child, before he knew how to growl and glare and make people back off. Back then, he didn't know how to look intimidating, and folks didn't leave him alone. Always would ask him questions, touch his ears, ask if he dances like they do, if he is going to set pictures on fire.

The Conductor realizes he's just standing around, staring, and quickly moves when he notices folks glancing at him. He can't stay here, he is very aware of that, can feel eyes on him. He doesn't want people talking to him, asking about him. Asking what it's like.

He grabs two screwdrivers from the bartender, only because he doesn't want to ask what other horrible fruity drinks he has. And, these are bottles. He can duck out quickly, popping one open as he takes a large gulp.

_ You have a nice face. _

He doesn't. He does not. He  _ knows  _ he doesn't.

He walks around the resort, just moving. If he's moving, he won't be stopped, won't be asked questions, won't be bothered. He doesn't want to be near all these birds, who know he doesn't look right.

He looks like something wrong, like someone just took two things and flung them together. 

He finishes the first bottle quickly and stuffs it in the garbage when he finds it. He keeps walking, keeping his next drink close. He has no idea how long he's been walking, but he starts to slow down, his legs catching up with his head, and he feels tired. The thoughts in his head are finally slowing down again, even if they're now slurring slightly, muddling together. It's better like this.

Unless he's working, writing, planning, he prefers this. The slow thoughts, ones that pause and let him breathe again. It feels like his thoughts never stop, always bother him, always make him so tired.

The Conductor looks into the rooms he passes, sipping his drink. Almost all of them are closed, but one of them- 

Has a piano.

He stares at it. It reminds him of the one at the studio, that he likes using for bar scenes sometimes. He nudges the door open and sees the room is big, probably some kind of party room the folks here might use. The Conductor takes another sip of his drink and walks over to the piano.

He presses down on a key, his ear twitching at the sound. Sounds good still…

He hasn't played in so long. The last time was at his daughter's wedding, because she begged him to play it like how he used to do when she was small. Before he had to sell it to make end's meet and never got another one.

He has no idea if he can still play.

He chugs the last of his drink and gently sets it down on the ground. He pulls out the stool, sitting on if before he carefully gets his hands on the keys.

He messes up the notes, has to remember where his hands start. He sighs and tries again. It comes back, after a moment, and he's able to unfocus as he plays, just letting his hands move.

His daughter had loved Tchaikovsky. He smiles as he remembers her dancing around the room as a child, as he played her songs. During Christmas, it was  _ Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy _ . On her birthday,  _ Waltz of the Flowers. _ She was always so fond of those fantastical notes, the higher ones made for soft dances.

At her wedding, she had asked for  _ Clair de Lune  _ by Debussy. It was night when it happened, and her and her husband slowly danced as he played, out in the backyard of his mother's home, all the windows and doors open so the whole family could hear the music and could walk to and fro inside.

He pauses as he tries to remember what his mother liked, back when she was alive.  _ Pavane for a Dead Princess  _ by Ravel is quickly what he thinks and he nods.

She always sat by the window when he played, staring outside. He never knew what she thought of, but she always asked him to play during the weekends, when it was just him and her.

He wonders what Grooves would like. He clicks his beak.

_ Moonlight Sonata  _ seems too  cliché .  _ La Campanella  _ starts too strong.  _ Nuvole Bianche  _ is way too slow…

He smirks when it comes to him.  _ The Entertainer  _ by Scott Joplin. He starts playing, easily remembering those perky notes. It's wonderful for Grooves, he can just imagine the penguin dancing to this easily. The Conductor let's himself get lost in playing, relaxing greatly as he continues to play.

"Have you been here all day?"

The music halts. The Conductor butchers the last notes, confused and startled as he looks behind him. Grooves stands there, the penguin looking so surprised.

All day? Conductor looks out the window. He's surprised to see the sky so dark now and he falters. Was he here all day?

"Have you eaten anything?" Grooves is speaking to him, softly. He glances at the bottle on the ground.

"I was distracted." The Conductor says, finally, and he is so surprised at how dry his mouth feels.

"Hm." Grooves keeps looking at the bottle. “I didn't know you played."

The Conductor doesn't say anything. Grooves sighs. "Do you want food?"

He opens his mouth to protest but, suddenly, his stomach growls and he grimaces at the pain there.

He sighs. "Sure."


	12. the beginning of dinner

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kudos if you know who José is based off of, even if it's probably obvious. Also, I am very sorry if the Portuguese is wrong, I used google translate so fdsjlkffldjks

Grooves keeps glancing at the Conductor, the owl simply slumped in his seat, not bothering to look at the menu in front of him. The resort had a large outside area for dining and honestly, after how he just saw the other bird, the penguin figured hot food and fresh air would do him good.

A part of him wants to leave him alone, knowing full well Conductor probably doesn't want to talk to him or be near him. That to the Conductor, Grooves is nothing but some second rate director. He has to remind himself that just because  _ he  _ has a...crush on the owl, it means nothing. Grooves isn't good with relationships, he isn't fit for them. Heck, he hasn't really  _ been  _ in one in ages.

Nothing he does will ever be good enough.

But, a small part of him wants to ask about the piano. He wants to sit close to the other and listen to him talk. Grooves  _ wants  _ to know more because the more time he spends with the Conductor, the more obvious it is that he doesn't  _ know  _ him.

He knows specific things, things easy to find. He knows Amos "Conductor" McConnell was in the movie business for two years before Grooves shows up, he knows that he has a daughter and grandkids (and knows nothing of whatever wife he had), knows he loves Westerns, and knows that he is known as an angry man who has a massive ego.

But he didn't know about the piano, or just  _ how  _ much Conductor drinks, or that insecurity he saw this morning about his appearance. Or that, apparently, the owl could completely forget to eat.

A hopeful part of Grooves wants to know more. 

"So...when did you start playing?" Grooves gently asks, still unsure of himself.

The Conductor's ears droop down, and Grooves is ready to accept silence.

"Since...I was lil." He says quietly, rubbing his arm. Grooves sits up, surprised.

"Oh...why did you quit?"

Conductor shrugs. "Eh. Didn't have a piano anymore."

"Hmm...you play nice." Grooves nervously looks away as the Conductor faces him. The owl seems to be looking over him, making the penguin squirm a little. He can feel the silence begin to linger and he speaks up again, "So, what's your favorite color?"

Oh, god, come on. He could have thought of something better than  _ that. _ The Conductor huffs and asks, "What's with the questions?"

"I don't know," he begins, looking at his hands, "It's just weird I don't know much about you. I've known you for years."

The Conductor's ears perk up. "Oh...I mean, I don't know 'bout you either."

"You've never asked."

"You've never asked  _ me  _ either." He says that and Grooves can't help, but huff and roll his eyes.

"I just asked for your favorite color, Amos."

The Conductor blushes, his ears standing up straighter as his feathers fluff out. "How do you-"

"It's not hard to find. You could easily find my name if you tried." He watches as the owl flushes harder.

The Conductor wrings his hands together. "Okay...what is it?"

"Color first."

The Conductor clicks his beak, an annoyed sound. "Ugh, fine…" He mumbles off something.

"What?"

"I…" He groans. Grooves furrows his brows.

"Con, it's just a color."

" _ Ugh!  _ Fine, fine, it's fuchsia, okay?" The owl sinks in his seat even more. Grooves blinks, tilting his head a bit as he thinks over that, "Oh, like the tie you wear?"

"Kinda." He mutters.

"Ah. I like red, personally," he hums, ignoring the Conductor's quiet, "no shit," as he continues to say, "And my name is Jamison."

" _ Not  _ DJ?" The Conductor actually sounds surprised, making the penguin laugh, "No, of course not. Friends and folks call me that because I used to own a club."

"You  _ what _ ."

Grooves stares, not fully processing what the Conductor means until, suddenly, it does, and he squints at the owl. "...how did you not know that?

"I thought ye title was just...some stage name!" He looks so flustered, all red. The penguin can't hide his smirk as he watches the other fidget, his ears flicking and clearing his throat. "Look, I-"

"DJ!"

The voice is very familiar, causing Grooves to turn around and smile wide when he sees the rose-ringed parakeet.

"José!"

Grooves stands up as his friend hurries over, grunting when he's wrapped up in a hug. He can't help but laugh, feeling giddy at the sight of his old friend. "Why are you here?"

"I play! During the nights when all these lovebirds wanna song." He leans back, his eyes raking over Grooves. "I see ya growing out the afro, eh?"

"And you got rid of your mohawk." Grooves says back, enjoying the sound of his friend's loud laughter.

"Oh,  _ amigo _ , that style grew out of fashion a  _ decade  _ ago. Don would have  _ killed  _ me if I kept it when I hit 40." The parakeet shrugs, still smiling wide.

"Is he here?" Grooves looks over his shoulder, suddenly so excited to see his other friend.

"Ah, no, had to watch his kids. But- oh! Hey! Ya wanna go up there with me tonight?" José has that familiar gleam in his eye, one Grooves has missed dearly, "For old times sake," and he glances over his friend's shoulder, "and to show off to your  _ o namorado  _ over there."

Grooves flushes hard as José wiggles his brows and doesn't dare glance behind him to see the Conductor. "Oh...I...hmm…"

He...hasn't sung on stage in awhile. Yes, in his movies, but on stage in front of people? It's been a long while since that. And he'd be lying if he said he didn't miss that feeling. And, well, with José here, it'd be even better…

"You...wouldn't mind, Con?" He asks before looking over and sees Conductor staring at him. 

"...no, go on."

Grooves excitedly looks back at José who winks at him, leading the penguin to backstage. The parakeet keeps a hand on his shoulder as he leads him.

"So,  _ he's  _ different."

Grooves clears his throat. "Oh, we aren't...that."

"You wanna be, though." José notes, and holds his hands up when Grooves opens his beak to speak, "and  _ don't  _ deny it,  _ irmão _ , I saw you two flirting before I walked over. You looked like a love sick puppy." 

"Okay, maybe I do, but  _ he  _ doesn't." Grooves huffs, "I'm...not his type."

José raises his brows. "Really? Funny, 'cause your canary was sure giving me a mean ol' look. He looked pretty  _ jealous. _ "

Grooves gapes at that. Conductor? Jealous? No, absolutely not. His ego is too big to be jealous, and he definitely wouldn't be that way over  _ him  _ of all people. He shakes his head. "Doubtful."

José sighs and rolls his eyes. "Okay, look, we go on soon so I won't argue with you. But don't think I won't get Don to call you and yell at you 'bout your…" He waves his hand, looking for the word, "...self image problem."

"My what?"

"You know, when you think  _ for some reason _ , people don't like you." The parakeet sighs, "You're so harsh on yourself."

"I'm not- look, I'm good at one night kind of stuff, okay? He deserves better than me." Grooves knows he isn't what the Conductor needs, what would be good. He's never been in a long relationship, and is honestly terrified to start one. He'd mess it up.

He doesn't want to ruin what they're slowly getting. Even if it isn't romantic, he wants to at least be friends now. Even if the Conductor is loud and can be mean, Grooves is just...drawn to him.

His friend sighs again. "DJ, sometimes, you should think about if someone  _ wants  _ you, not any of this needing stuff."

The lights dim and the parakeet glances up. Grooves is relieved when the subject is dropped as José says, "Look, we're on. You remember the song we sang at prom?"

"The prom where Don beat up Ben for trying to hit on his sister and we spent the rest of our night at the hospital?"

He smirks. "Bingo."


	13. the end of dinner

The Conductor watches as Grooves leaves with José, his hands clenching the table and his ears pinned to his head. He sinks in his seat as they go back stage. Ugh, they probably used to be exes or something. Probably are  _ catching up  _ or something right now. The owl let's his frown deepen, as he thinks about those two. 

Of course Grooves would go be with that flirtatious parakeet. He's  _ fun _ , which is what Grooves like. So colorful and conventionally attractive. Probably is right up Grooves' alley.

He groans, barely noticing when a nomad pads up to the table to take his order. He miserably looks over at the waiter, who squirms under his gaze. "Whatever fish for him," he motions to Grooves, "and hare for me." 

He's thankful that they quickly leave. He looks back to the stage, and watches as Grooves walks out with other birds. The Conductor can't help but watch him, how he's smiling, that lovely smile that brightens the room. They begin to play and the Conductor just gets his head in his hands, just watching.

_ We're no strangers to love _

_ You know the rules and so do I _

Grooves sings naturally, so easily fitting the role of singer. His voice has always been soothing, and the Conductor can't deny and say he hasn't thought of it. He sighs a little to himself, watching the penguin on stage.

He looks so happy there. The Conductor doesn't fit anywhere there. He's not like Grooves, who just brightens up the room, and he wouldn't be able to entertain him like others do. The owl let's himself fester in the thoughts, as he thinks of Grooves. Beautiful, gorgeous Grooves, who has such pretty feathers and eyes, and who sings so wonderfully, and can easily talk to folks and smooth things over, and who can dance amazingly.

The Conductor has his movies. He can act, put on a show for a camera. But he can't do what Grooves on. He can't put on that same show in real life so easily, can't be as smooth as a talker just so naturally. 

The Conductor can act, he has several trophies to prove it. But DJ Grooves is the one who is a natural, and he has the fans to prove it.

The song is ending, and he's thankful. He's itching to leave, to go lay in bed now that the alcohol from earlier is catching up, slowing him down. He wants to be alone with his thoughts, alone so he can try and shove down the feelings best he can.

"T-this is a song for Amos." 

Conductor snaps his gaze up. Grooves is still on stage, as José and others grab different instruments. The parakeet holds an acoustic guitar now and nods at Grooves, who is standing there with a nervous smile on his face. His face is red under those bright lights, and even from here, Conductor can see those deep pools of blues he has for eyes.

They start playing as Grooves stands there, and the Conductor twitches his ears at the notes, surprised to hear it sounds so much more country than what he expected. He has heard Grooves sing to rock, disco, several other things, but never heard the penguin sing to one of these songs. He can't help, but sit up, staring at him.

_ Back on the run, back to the blue _

_ Winning is fun, losing is, too _

_ Roses are falling, roses from falling for yo _

Grooves is smiling so softly, making Conductor himself flush. He looks so heavenly up there, the lights of the stage highlighting him and making him seem to glow almost. He feels his heart starting to hammer.

_ The ache inside the hate _

_ I found a way to sit and wait _

_ And now I can't, your voice, your face _

_ Without a trace, I'll wait for you _

_ Roses are falling for you, you _

The penguin looks at him, eyes twinkling. His smile is lopsided, almost smirking. It makes the Conductor squirm, heat up and feel so flushed as he listens. He swallows hard, as his heart leaps into his throat. Oh.  _ Oh… _

_ Under your skin, over the moon _

_ Don't let me in, I don't know what I'd do _

_ Roses are falling, roses from falling for you _

He sinks down in his seat, his whole body feeling on fire. This song is...is lovely. It's reaching an itch inside him he hasn't felt in a long time, that he knows, to a degree, is from the side of him he doesn't want to think about. The side that is drawn to music, that wants to dance and set the whole place on fire. Grooves with his voice, he's setting his heart on fire, making the Conductor unable to move or look away. 

_ You know darling, you bring out the worst in me _

His throat feels dry as Grooves speaks low, not looking away from him.

_ Sometimes, when I'm around you, I feel like pure evil _

_ I guess they say nobody's perfect _

_ But they've never met a devil like you _

He's never felt like this. Never felt so drawn to someone, something, anything like this. Grooves is so easily making him feel like he's melting, and his hands and face feel like he's so close to the sun itself right now.

_ Oh, roses are falling for you _

_ Roses are falling for you _

_ Roses are falling for you _

He's never felt so good before.

Suddenly, flames erupt from the kitchen. Nomads yelp and move back as everyone looks over in shock. The flames burst through the door and a goat quickly cares for them, a fire extinguisher in his hand as he shoots it. Those flames die quickly and a nomad is nervously saying it's all fine and to continue the meals.

The Conductor stares at that ashy spot now, and the feeling he felt is quickly replaced with horrific realization. 

He can't be here. This was a mistake. He can't just do this.

He can't just be with Grooves. Like this.

It feels hard to breathe and he quickly gets up. He moves towards the door, moving through the crowd, quickly bursting through the door. He can hear Grooves, saying something, his name, and he tries to leave even faster.

He needs to leave.


	14. smoke on the water

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> man oh man, this has been a ride. we ain't done, but, I just wanted to say: thanks to the discotrain server for constantly encouraging me and thank you to Arynn and Asper, to people who mean so much to me and listen to me ramble about this fic as I continue to write it. And thank you, readers, for going on this with me. This is the first multi chapter fic I've ever written and boy howdy, it's fun. Thank you.

The outside is cold, welcoming after what just happened. His heart is racing so fast, and he's so terrified to see any fire out here. He still feels the urge inside him, to dance, to stare at flames, to hold Grooves close and-

He growls and shakes his head. No. None of that, he  _ can't  _ have that.

"Con!" He hears Grooves yelling for him, and his ears flatten as he hears him moving closer, "Amos-"

"Go away!" He snaps, his feathers puffing up. He keeps walking even if he has no idea where to go, what he'd do. He's trapped here.

" _ Talk  _ to me." Grooves is suddenly close, grabbing his shoulders. The penguin looks at him, his shades missing and Conductor unable to not look at those eyes. 

"I  _ can't! _ " He snaps, and his hands are shaking, his whole body feeling hot. He feels so tired and weak and like he's ready to just break at any second. He shudders and whispers, "I don't know how."

He's been alone for so long. When his mother died, he was alone. When he had a daughter, he raised her alone. If his train breaks, he fixes it alone. The Conductor has lived for so long like this that he can't think of how else he'd do it. Even if he  _ wants  _ Grooves, Grooves deserves someone so much better. Someone who knows how to be with him, who can treat him well. Not some lonely freak of a creature who accidentally can make fires bigger.

"...was it the song?" Grooves asks quietly, and Conductor is quick to shake his head because  _ no  _ he can't let Grooves think it's him. 

"No, DJ, I  _ loved  _ that." His shoulders sag, and Grooves squeezes him, looking so lost and confused. The penguin frowns, "Then...why-"

"Because I might burn you."

He watches as Grooves slowly realizes, his grip loosening on the Conductor. He sags against Grooves and he knows he's about to be pushed away, about to see him mad and upset. He wouldn't blame Grooves.

But, the penguin grabs his hand instead, and drags him towards the back of the building. 

"Grooves?" He glances at their hands, feeling himself flush up again fast.

Grooves takes him to a gated section, easily unlocking it and revealing a large pool. No one is there as they walk in, and the Conductor stares as that blue water. It's illuminated at the bottom, creating a lovely glow around everything. Grooves releases his hand and shrugs his shirt off.

The Conductor swallows hard at the sight of Grooves', staring at his dappled back. His feathers are a mix of colors there, darker and lighter blues, making a little star system on his back. It's a gorgeous sight and the Conductor is again reminded of how beautiful Grooves is.

"Water...helps?" He shyly asks the Conductor, who just looks at the water. He doubts it.

"There's no fire here, darling." Grooves says softly, continuing to speak as he steps into the pool. He waits for the Conductor, who shyly takes his shirt off before following.

The water is cold, making him flinch and Grooves chuckle. The penguin sits down on the steps and he takes the Conductor's hand again, giving him a squeeze as the owl continues.

He slowly lets himself dip into the water, staying close to Grooves in fear of sinking. The penguin doesn't push him. Slowly, he gets on his back, his head in Grooves' lap. Water is up to his neck, and the coldness of it both shakes and comforts him, as does Grooves rubbing his neck. He gently touches the Conductor, looking down at him. "Is this easier?"

"...a little." He doesn't know, honestly, if water helps, but Grooves does. The small touches, rubbing his neck and shoulders, gently rubbing water onto his chest.

"So…" Grooves trails off, both of them going quiet. There are a million things the Conductor wants to say, and also nothing he can think of. He has no idea where to even start.

"Why do you like me?" Is the first thing, because he doesn't know why. He can't process why. Why beautiful, charming, annoying, overdramatic, stunning Grooves would like  _ him  _ of all things.

"Because you're you?" Grooves smiles at him, saying it as if it's obvious, "Because even if you're an egotistical, uptight, vulgar cowboy knock off, you're still hard working. You still are so determined to do things right or not at all, you're loud and blunt, and so sweet sometimes when you think people don't notice."

His face heats up and he looks away as Grooves leans closer, as he presses his beak against his cheek. "I've never met someone so stubborn. Never met anyone as  _ smug  _ as you. It makes me so mad sometimes, but I've never had as much fun with someone as I do you."

He's flushing up, as Grooves nuzzles into his neck. The owl chirps and he  _ hates  _ that chuckle from Grooves. "Stop-"

"I adore your voice. When you're screaming one minute then speaking softly the next. I love how you are with your grandkids, how much you enjoy them. And even if you work  _ too  _ much, I can't help but respect you."

"Grooves-" he squirms now, feeling his heart hammering fast.

"And I am so jealous that even with graying feathers, you look so devilishly handsome." 

"I'm  _ not _ !" He shifts away from Grooves, now facing him. He grips his shoulders and the penguin falls back a little in the water, framing his face as the Conductor gets on top. Grooves just has that smile on his face, that awful lopsided one as he looks up at the Conductor. He looks at him like how a man in a desert would look at water, and it makes the Conductor heat up so quickly. 

"You are." Grooves hums, "Amos, you are  _ gorgeous. _ "

There's a whine rising in his throat, as he leans down. Because that's so hard to believe, that Grooves thinks that. But here he is, looking like a love sick fool and the Conductor is blushing hard and feeling like he's hotter than the sun. No one has ever called him gorgeous, no one has ever looked at him like Grooves has. No one has ever sung to him like Grooves.

Their beaks touch, clicking together, and he hesitates. He runs his fingers through the feathers on Grooves' chest, looks up at his blue eyes, and mumbles, "I...I want to…"

He wants to do so much.

"Can you kiss me?" Grooves asks him, fluttering his eyes and smiling softly. Conductor feels his heart jump and he knows if there was fire anywhere near, it'd be raging up in joy. And the thought makes him hesitate more.

But Grooves cups his face and softly says, "Amos…"

He tilts his head and leans down more. Grooves and him kiss and instantly, it feels like fireworks. He melts against the penguin, who happily tilts his head for a better angle. He feels those flippers trailing up his back as him and Grooves kiss. It cools him down, the water from the pool and Grooves, but when he pulls back and sighs, smoke trails from his mouth, and Grooves and him glance up as it forms a heart.

Grooves giggles. "Oh. I wonder what else you can do."

And he's pulling him back in for another kiss, this one deeper, and he feels the years of tension in this one. The desperation between both of them, wanting to do this, wanting to cling to each other and kiss and hear those soft noises between each kiss. Grooves keeps him in the water as they kiss, running it over his back and his ears, as the Conductor clings to him.


	15. oh no

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shorter chapter, sorry for that.

Cooper has walked to work for five years. The owl lives close by and honestly sees no point in riding the train when he can  _ see  _ the studio from his house.

So can he really be blamed for what is going to happen?

He walks into the studio, yawning as he shuffles over to the receptionist desk. He lazily checks in on a piece of paper, only to pause.

Because Cooper is so close to the studio, he usually takes his time getting here. No point to be the first one here. But...today...apparently he is. Not a single name on the list besides his.

He stares, only for his thoughts to be shoved away when the door is slammed open. He blinks at Niles, who rushes over and says, "Who runs the train?"

"Con-"

"No, when  _ he's  _ gone!" He's panting heavily and Cooper stares at him, blinking owlishly.

"Uh...no one? We aren't allowed to. Why?" 

Niles only crawls onto the receptionist desk, grabbing the remote behind the computer and turning on the television that’s hidden under the desk. A blue jay looks at the camera, holding a white microphone as the following appears under her:

**THE CONDUCTOR GONE MISSING**

Cooper stares at those words. He glances back at Niles, back at the empty list, and it clicks.

Oh. That train is the only one on this planet.

The Conductor is the only one who drives it.

_ Oh  _ **_no._ **

The woman on screen talks and suddenly she is pointing the microphone at someone else. Cooper realizes they're in front of a supermarket and he quickly recognizes who they're pointing the microphone to. A woman stares back blankly, shocked by the crowd that shoves cameras in her face. The avian, with bright orange and red feathers blinks and squints when a camera flashes at her. She brings her child closer, the one in her arms oblivious to what's happening.

"Do you know the whereabouts of your father?" The blue jay asks and Veronica "Ronnie" McConnell stares, her beak opening and closing before she says, "Wh-"

"The train didn't run today, do you know why?"

"I-"

"Did the Conductor finally die of old age?" Someone in the crowd asks and Ronnie glares and shoves the camera away. It follows her as she stomps off to her car, and Cooper can see her partner there, holding two of the children, some already in the car. They say something to her the camera doesn't catch and Ronnie is pulling out her phone.

The phone on the desk rings. Niles stares while Cooper grabs it and he barely has time to say anything before Ronnie is yelling, " _ Where  _ is Da?"

Cooper flinches back. He's heard of the famous McConnell rage and has seen enough of it through the Conductor, but his  _ daughter _ ? Cooper has barely ever seen it, and he glances nervously at Niles who hisses, "You didn't  _ tell  _ her?"

"I  _ thought  _ Conductor would!" He hisses back. Ronnie growls, " _ Where. _ "

"The...Birdhouse." Cooper says quietly and from both the phone and television he hears Ronnie yell, "The  _ Birdhouse _ ? Why the bloody hell is he there?"

Cooper shrinks back. "Well, uh, he might have hurt his back fixing a light bulb and uh...wasn't resting…"

He hears a sigh and groan, "Oh, of  _ course  _ he wasn't. And ya just  _ dropped  _ him off?"

"No, Grooves is with him."

" _ DJ GROOVES IS WITH MY FATHER AT THE BIRDHOUSE,  _ **_ALONE_ ** _? _ "

"I-I mean-"

"They'll  _ peckin'  _ kill each other! Why are they still there?"

"U-uh…" Cooper swallows hard, his hands shaking as he tries to figure out  _ what  _ to say. "I-I don't-"

Niles takes the phone from him, and quickly says, "No way on and off without the balloon guy." 

He doesn't hear the reaction but he can see it on television, Ronnie rubbing her face and shaking her head. He can feel Niles patting his back comfortingly as he keeps talking to Ronnie.

The shot changes back to the blue jay reporter and Cooper lets out a high pitched whine, causing Niles to look over.

**DJ GROOVES AND THE CONDUCTOR ELOPE AT BIRDHOUSE**

He stares at those words, and Cooper is ready to bury himself alive. Ready to lay down on the train tracks and accept death. He's ready to be fired from one of the best jobs he's had in months.

Instead, the owl simply sighs and says, "Peck."


	16. i'll continue to continue to pretend

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for a VERY short chapter, I promise the next one is longer.

_ The fire flickers, lapping up into the sky. It begs those stars to come closer, to let it taste that ancient warmth. The spirits dance around it wildly, like flickers of flames themselves. One is smiling wide, their teeth showing in unsettling white, " _ **_Through the corridors of sleep, past shadows dark and deep._ ** _ " _

_ Their fur is catching on fire, and they continue to dance. That fire grows bigger and bigger, pushing away the inky trees. They bend and try to escape that mesmerizing heat, as the spirits yell in joy at such a large fire. A fire that sings and calls to them, that reaches out of their little clearing. And it bursts, a sudden hiss as it consumes them. They melt away to show golden skeletons, that bubble within the fire. " _ **_My mind dances and leaps in confusion._ ** _ " _

_ That fire crawls on the ground like a train, fast and efficient. Smoke drags up from it, clouding the sky. It looms above everything, biting at trees and stomping over the ground. Spirits race from it, move from branch to branch, their breathing in sync with the wild flames. " _ **_I don't know what is real. I can't touch what I feel._ ** _ " _

_ They yell in shock as that fire catches them, as it holds them. They burn and crumble to ash, one by one, as it grows and grows like an angry beast. " _ **_And I hide behind the shield of my illusion._ ** _ " _

_ It crackles and snarls, consuming it all. It bursts into a miasma of colors as it races, moving faster and faster. There is a thumping of its heart as it screams, towards a place. It finds a crystal lake that mirrors it, that shows those savage flames what it is. An island stands in the middle, tempting it. Calling it. " _ **_So I'll continue to continue to pretend._ ** _ " _

_ It steps on that water. Steam reaches up and clings to it, dancing up into the sky. It cradles the fire as it shrinks, as it falls, as it crawls to that island. Something waits for it. " _ **_My life will never end._ ** _ " _

_ A small flame reaches that land. Someone picks it up and a spirit looks back. Blue fur glows faintly along with the flame they hold and they watch with orange eyes as it grows smaller and smaller. They open their mouth and say, " _ **_And flowers never bend with the rainfall._ ** _ " _

The Conductor gasps as he's thrown into being awake, so suddenly. He jerks his head around, his heart hammering and his head dizzy. He groans, reaching up to touch his head.

The door opens and Grooves is there, looking surprised. "Oh, you're awake, darling. You've been sleeping all day, you good?"

He glances to the window and is surprised to see the sun setting. He frowns at that, having not slept in since he was a child.

"I'm fine." Is what he mumbles to Grooves.


	17. worrying

When DJ Grooves woke up, his very first thought was  _ wow. _

Last night feels like a blur, a dream. Like it almost is too good to be real. But, he can remember it vividly. The flames in the kitchen, the Conductor in the pool, kissing him. His throat still feels dry from the smoke and the penguin feels his face heating up as he remembers how the night continued. He glances around the room and frowns at their clothes being just thrown on the floor when they had gotten to their room, and he groans realizing his coat isn't among the pile.

He's almost too scared to see if the Conductor is there. Grooves has been with several people in his life and he's used to waking up to an empty bed. But he's never felt like this towards another, this feeling of both adoration and frustration. There have been several days he couldn't stand the owl, growled at the mention of him, and felt nothing but anger for him. But, he can recall several days he’s only felt…

He has no idea what to call it. His first thought is love, but he hesitates to say that. This is all so new, and he’s worried of ruining it if he adds a label to it. For years, him and the Conductor have had a very clear line on what they are. Rivals. Competing directors. Annoying co owner of a studio.

He has no idea when that line faded to...this.

Grooves finally turns his head. The Conductor is sleeping, curled into the blankets. His ears droop and he breathes slowly. It reminds him of the car, just two days ago.

Just two days ago, oh wow.

Grooves sits up a bit, glancing at the Conductor. A part of him wants to wake the owl up and ask what this is. Are they...together now? Was it just for that one night because the Conductor is stressed? Does the Conductor  _ want  _ this to be more?

But he lets him sleep. The owl needs it, honestly. Grooves can ask about it later, when he's thought about it himself more. He gets out of bed and does his morning routine and grabs a new shirt to wear since his coat is probably still at the pool. He can grab it quickly before grabbing food or something.

However, when he opens the door, José is standing there smirking, holding the red coat. "So, it went well?"

Grooves feels his face heat up as he snatches the coat, tossing it inside before he closes the door. He glances over at the parakeet, who has his arms crossed and waits smugly.

"I...think so?" Grooves rubs his arm. Instantly, José looks concerned, squeezing his shoulder. "What do you mean,  _ irmão _ ?"

"I just dunno if this is a one time thing is all." He says and frowns at how José sighs, continuing to say, "It's a  _ valid  _ concern."

"You do this every time you get with someone. Why is it so hard to believe that someone likes you for more than just a little fun at night?"

"Because," Grooves starts and stops, rubbing the back of his neck, "I...well."

Because he's never really been good enough before. He's attractive, yeah, but he knows for several people that's all he is. Attractive. And, a small part of him is wondering if Conductor is the same way, that maybe he just thinks Grooves is pretty. Another kind of trophy to win.

"DJ…" José frowns at his friend, gently touching his back. "...it's alright if you don't want to discuss it. I don't really know the situation. But, please, be kind to yourself."

Grooves sighs. He  _ is  _ being kind to himself. He's being realistic. He knows the Conductor is competitive, loves winning, it's what drives him to do things. And Grooves' movies are nothing like his, and that he's always _ almost  _ good enough to win. He's only won over the Conductor once, and the owl had been fuming for months.

Maybe the Conductor just wants to be able to say he's been with Grooves now. Famous and lovely Grooves who has been with...a fair number of people. Now he can add the Conductor to that list. Another thing he's won.

The more Grooves thinks on it, the more he feels less sure of all of this. The kiss, admitting he thinks Amos is attractive, the pool. It wasn't even that long ago when Grooves realized he had a crush on the owl. This is all going so fast, right? Even if they’ve known each other for years, all of this is so just...new.

It’s electrifying, amazing, terrifying. It’s something Grooves wants to cherish and never think about again, while also pressing for if it’s more. If this actually means anything or, if the moment they’re back, it’ll be the same. The same yelling at each other every day, the same furious fights, the same smug Conductor bragging about his latest win. Is all of this just because the Conductor is stuck here and can’t work on his movies, and he’s lost at what he’s supposed to do now? Is Grooves just some sort of entertainment for when, eventually, this is all over.

His shoulders sag as he stands out in the hallway. José is still there, quietly rubbing his back. After a moment of silence, he speaks again, "Hey...how about we grab breakfast. I got a video call with Don and he'd love to see you again."

He gives Grooves a small smile and after a moment, Grooves is able to give one back to him. 


	18. and we're just going to keep worrying

"Donny!  _ Amor da minha vida _ !" José looks lovingly at his phone. Grooves sits next to his friend, nudging the bowl of fruit to him. The penguin looks over José's shoulder and smiles wide at the sight of Don.

The sea-duck smiles fondly at José, only for his eyes to light up at the sight of Grooves. "DJ! Why are  _ you  _ at the Birdhouse?"

He opens his beak to answer, only for José to beat him to it, "He's spending time with his new flame."

" _ No _ , I got stuck here dropping someone off." DJ huffs and Don only rolls his eyes. There's a clatter on his end and the duck huffs briefly before tossing something behind him.

"Making breakfast for the boys, Don?" José smiles as his boyfriend tries to...cook, apparently. 

"Yes. They keep eating their cake instead of  _ actual  _ breakfast." He shakes his head, "And you know how Hugh is when he has sugar."

José and Don continue to talk excitedly to each other, Grooves occasionally chiming in. It's nice to see his old friends, and it distracts him from...well. Everything else. His feelings, the Conductor, this whole trip. It was as if something pushed them to this point, that they were always right on the edge. It's a bit terrifying to think about, honestly.

He's only just gotten a crush a little while ago, hasn't he? Grooves flushes a little as he considers the years they've known each other. They've fought through all of it, ever since they found out they share a studio. While the Conductor is loud about his disapproval, Grooves was quieter about his. While the Conductor screamed up a storm, Grooves would make sure to drink the last bit of coffee so Conductor doesn't get any. They've done this dance around each other for years.

Does Grooves want that to change? Does  _ Amos _ ? The penguin sinks a bit in his seat. Amos, who is so handsome, fits the role of rugged so easily. Who has a nice voice Grooves loves to hear, be it screaming or purring. Who deserves someone who knows  _ how  _ to be in a relationship.

"DJ?"

He blinks and glances at José. The parakeet smiles sympathetically at him, and nods to Don. The duck gives his own smile and says, "Listen, DJ, I need to go...but you and Ze here stay out of trouble."

" _ When  _ have I ever been in trouble?" José smiles wide and Don simply rolls his eyes before continuing, "And visit us more, DJ. The boys would love to meet you."

"Of course." He gives a smile and watches as the call ends. José puts away his laptop with a sigh, looking to Grooves. "So…"

"Let's just hang today. I can deal with things when he wakes up." Grooves is quick to say, because that's easier than thinking about the Conductor, thinking about where him and the owl actually stand.

It feels like he's in the middle of the ocean right now, lost. And he's just waiting for the Conductor to move, guide them out. And it'll either be to shore or further into the sea.

José opens his beak, only to sigh and say, "Okay, okay...whatever you want."

And so, Grooves spends the day with José, either playing music or simply being around the other. They spend it chatting about their lives, how José plays where he can just for fun, and how Grooves makes movies. Grooves lets himself settle into this, this familiarity that makes sense to him. And, when the sun is setting and José leaves, Grooves shuffles back to his room.

He sees the Conductor rubbing his head, hands shaking as he does. Grooves speaks softly, his anxiety shoved down as he feels worry, "Oh, you're awake, darling. You've been sleeping all day, you good?"

The Conductor seems to pause, as if trying to grasp back at reality. He mumbles, "I'm fine."

Grooves doesn't believe him. But, the penguin says nothing. All he does is sit on the bed, and sighs. He feels the other moving, putting clothes on before he's sitting next to Grooves. He looks down at the owl, seeing him in nothing but his red coat and jeans. The sight makes him feel...soft. He feels adoration, affection, love… He ends up leaning against the Conductor, who doesn't move away.

"What are we?" Grooves asks him. The Conductor leans against him, his head on his shoulder and his hand gently gasping Grooves' own hand.

"I don't know." Is what he says and Grooves can feel his heart aching, prepared to hear the usual. It's not him, it's them. It's not a good time. He's just not what they want. He's not good enough.

"You deserve so much better." Is what Amos whispers instead.

"What?" Grooves mutters, and the Conductor is sagging against him.

"I'm...not good for you." The Conductor clicks his beak, but he stays close to Grooves, keeps his hand on him. "You're  _ nice _ , and creative, and attractive-"

" _ You  _ think  _ I'm  _ creative?" He stares at him because the Conductor would never, the owl has sworn up and down the studio about what drivel his writing is.

The Conductor clears his throat, his face red. "W-well, I mean...yeah? Ye plots are  _ ludicrous _ , but...you're good at small things. Ya add lil' details in your movies that make them seem  _ real _ , more alive. With how a fella dresses or what book someone is reading. I got my big pictures, but  _ you _ ? You're great at making characters seem like they belong somewhere."

Grooves feels his face heating up, having never heard the Conductor compliment him in such a way. He glances over at him and he can't help but smile, still so red as he gently nips at the base of his ear. The Conductor shudders and jerks up to look at Grooves, who just smiles and says, "You know, if you're good at the big picture and I'm good at small ones, I think we'd make a lovely partnership, darling."

The Conductor blushes even harder, but his hands paw at Grooves chest, and the penguin smiles wider as the owl drags him to the bed, where he climbs on top of the Conductor. "Oh yeah? And what kinda partnership are ye considering?"

Grooves hums, pretending to be in thought as he kisses the Conductor's neck, enjoying the excited chirp from the other and how he wraps his arms around Grooves' neck. "Maybe...ah, a...more...romantic one?"

He struggles to say it, because he's still so scared. Scared this is all some kind of ploy, a trick. That the Conductor is about to laugh at how Grooves could fall for such a thing. But the Conductor cups his face, a purr rising from him as he nuzzles their beaks together.

"Romantic, eh? Oh, luv, folks are gonna be  _ furious  _ at us, with me and you stealin' up all those rewards." He giggles, giddy and excited and Grooves loves the sound of it, his heart melting at how happy the other sounds. And the nickname makes his heart flutter excitedly.

He kisses the Conductor, who happily clings to him, chirping as they part and a smokey heart fluttering from his beak. He tugs Grooves down for more, kissing his cheeks and neck, all over until he's kissing him fully again.

They continue like that, soft sounds coming from both of them as they kiss. Grooves' anxiety slowly melts as he's kissed, as the Conductor keeps him close and doesn't let him go.


	19. celebration

Cooper expected a lot of things when the news of...eloping got around. He had been panicking about it, mentally preparing himself for the panic that would happen at the studio. He expected there to be birds hiding, preparing themselves for when their bosses show back up.

He did not expect this.

The lobby is full of people, owls and penguins and crows who are laughing and cheering, sharing drinks. He spies Niles near the receptionist desk, his glasses missing as he chugs down what Cooper can only assume is a wine cooler.

" _ What  _ is happening?" He tries to speak over the music, glancing over at the band of owls who are playing. Their tune is jazzy, excited, and has the extra talent of a penguin on the piano.

Niles shrugs, his smile lopsided. A penguin next to him wraps his flipper around Niles and says, "Celebratin'!"

"What?"

"You know, for the bosses finally hittin' it off!" 

Cooper stares as he realizes what this is. The music, the drinking, how relaxed everyone is. The owl shrinks in on himself, as his eyes dart around. Oh, oh no. Oh  _ peck _ .

"Yeup! Ritzy here won the pool!" An owl, Jerry, spins in the chair behind the desk, several bottles by his feet. Cooper tilts his head at Jerry, who pulls out a large leather bound book. He pats it with a smile. "Five thousand and ninety-nine pons."

Cooper stands there, mouth agape as he processes that. The fact there is a betting pool (which isn't shocking) and that there were  _ five thousand pons  _ in it.

A penguin sighs, "Ugh, I almost had it, too."

"You did  _ not _ , Iggy." Jerry rolls his eyes, opening that large book. He points to something written and says, "You bet two years ago, day 3-"

" _ Ugh _ , but the Christmas party was  _ perfect _ ! Good lighting, music, the joy of the holidays!" Iggy leans over the desk, sounding more and more distressed as he talks.

"Ah yes, music that Grooves and Conductor argued about for a good two hours." Another penguin says with a smirk, and Cooper recognizes her as Dinah, one of the other camera workers.

Iggy sighs dramatically and a crow leans over to pat his back. Cooper furrows his brows as he looks over everyone, and loudly says, "Guys, the  _ newspaper  _ wrote that. It's not true. Grooves is stuck at the Birdhouse because he actually  _ can't  _ leave. The guy that gets birds on and off only shows up every week."

Slowly, the music dies down, as birds look over at him. Niles sighs and continues to drink, as others start to nervously look around. Jerry leans over, bringing his book closer. "So...no confirmation, then?"

"Uh...yes?" Cooper clears his throat a bit, suddenly aware of everyone looking at him. Jerry sighs and marks something.

"Well, peck. Sorry, Ritzy." He looks over at the penguin, who shakes her head and holds her drink up briefly before sipping it.

"Aren't you all worried they'll be mad?" Cooper can't help, but ask. Jerry glances up at him. "Aw, Cooper, right? You started working here not too long ago, but, listen, they'll get mad at the news folks. Not us."

"Yeah, ain't the first time they've done this." Dinah says, "Remember the wig thing?"

A crow starts giggling. "Oh, yes, fellow bird. They claimed it was Grooves."

"Peck, was he mad." Jerry shudders a bit, "Never saw the guy like that before. All because Boris over there lost the wig prop."

"I've  _ apologized. _ " He huffs.

Jerry leans back in his seat, the book in his lap as he smiles. "Well, lads and lasses, we celebrated too early, but might as well keep on goin'. Not like we have work."

There's an agreement through the crowd, and soon music is playing back up again, and the atmosphere goes back to relaxed. Cooper looks over them all, surprised. He expected...more distress. More folks worrying, but it seems the subject of romance between their bosses is just a common thing. A natural thing that everyone seems to talk about.

"Don't worry, Coop. You'll get used to it." Jerry smiles at him, scribbling something down in the book.

"How long has it been going on?" He glances at that book, how many pages have seemed to have been used already. Jerry pauses, scratching his beak before he says, "Around twenty years."

That makes him freeze, the mere idea of it. For twenty years, the Conductor and Grooves have been at each other's throats. For twenty years, there has been a betting pool on when they get together. 

"If they haven't gotten together yet, why do you think they eventually will?" He ends up asking, watching as Jerry chuckles.

"Because, while I respect the Conductor, he's an idiot at this kind of thing. And so is Grooves. It's hard to see something right in front of you a lot of the time."

"They seem like they hate each other." He can't help, but to say. He's never seen two people yell at each other like the Conductor and Grooves do.

"Oh, sure, but I've been here for ten years, and I have never seen them look at anyone else the way they do. And I've also never seen two people supposedly hate each other but still constantly want to be near each other." Jerry hums. "Honestly, this is all for fun. Sure, we all  _ hope  _ they end up together, but well. That's up to them."

Cooper blinks slowly, his shoulders sagging as he considers it. "Oh…"

"Maybe they'll surprise us." Jerry says with a laugh, continuing to write in his book.


	20. and it's all coming to a close

The fourth day was spent in bed, the Conductor and Grooves lazily exploring each other and chatting softly. The Conductor feels warm each time Grooves kisses him, holds him, and tells him he's amazing. It's both strange and enthralling to the owl, who has spent so much of his life alone. Grooves,  _ DJ _ , is like seeing an oasis in a desert, like seeing the sky after being in a cave. 

He still feels so nervous about all of this, about them. As Grooves nips his neck, he looks up at the ceiling and thinks about how not too long ago, he thought he'd never have this. Would never feel so warm.

On the fifth day, there's a knock at the door and Conductor is the one to answer, after Grooves pushes him out of bed with a grumble. He huffs and opens the door, glaring at the nomad who flinches.

"I, oh, you're busy-" he glances down at how he only has pants on, his ears flicking before glaring back up at the nomad, "Uhm, well, uh, Apollo is here."

He waits for him to elaborate, and the nomad just stares blankly at him before going, "Oh! The, uh, balloon guy."

Ah.

So, they pack their stuff quietly, Conductor being stopped every so often when Grooves decides he needs to be  _ preened  _ again. He huffs every time, but makes no move to pull away, not minding it too much. He ends up wearing DJ's coat as they start walking out, the penguin having a sly smile on his face while the Conductor mutters about it being cold.

When he sees Apollo, he signs, "You should get a phone."

The eagle blinks at him, furrowing his brows before reaching into his pocket. He pulls out a touchscreen, and Conductor doesn't even glance at Grooves, hearing him loudly say, "What."

He instead looks at the nomad, who stares at that phone for a good minute before silently handing over his own phone. Apollo types something in and hands it back. The nomad does not look at Grooves and the Conductor as he shuffles away.

Well. That's that then.

The ride down is quiet, Grooves close to him. And the walk down is as well, and it isn't until they see that cherry red car when Grooves asks, "So, what are we?"

He hears that nervousness in Grooves' voice, such a rare sound that he's heard several times while at the Birdhouse.

"Partners." Is the easy answer, the Conductor scratching under his chin.

The drive back is spent listening to music, and of course they argue about that. But the Conductor is smirking, looking over at Grooves fondly as he talks about how disco is  _ good _ and folks that don't like it have no taste. He's so much more distracted by Grooves that he  _ almost  _ doesn't notice reporters at his studio.

"Oh bloody peckin' hell." He grumbles, and his ears flick when Grooves hums.

The second he's out of the car, they spot him, and he's already growling, his feathers ruffling up as a microphone is shoved in his face.

"Conductor! Did you and DJ Grooves really get married?" Is what the sorry excuse for a reporter asks and he hears DJ give out a bark of laughter.

"Of  _ course not _ , peck neck!" He shoves the microphone out of his face and hears a camera click. 

"Why were you at the Birdhouse?"

"Are you retiring?"

"Is there a reason you have Mr. Grooves coat on?"

He can already feel himself ready to bite at someone, growling louder. He feels DJ grabbing his arm and there's a pause before he gets a hand on the penguin's back and snarls, "We're  _ datin' _ , now mind ye business!"

There're more camera flashes as they walk to the studio, close together and slamming the door on the reporters.

\----

Cooper is ready to leave for lunch when he hears the slam of the lobby door. A familiar slam. The owl perks up, staring into the lobby to see the Conductor and Grooves walk in. The Conductor looks much better from the last time Cooper saw him, in pain and barely able to stand. Now, the owl stands his usual height, tall and prideful as he looks around. And he's wearing Grooves' coat.

" _ Why  _ are there peckin' reporters!?" The Conductor screeches and more birds have looked into the lobby, though several owls duck away when they hear that familiar yelling.

Grooves chuckles, patting the owl's shoulders. "Don't blame your owls, darling. You know how reporters are."

"Leeches." Is his snarling response.

Grooves leans over with a laugh, and in front of everyone, kisses the Conductor. Cooper stares, ready to see yelling and screaming, prepared for them to kill each other. But the Conductor just tilts his head for a better angle, before he nudges Grooves away. "Alright, alright, calm down ye bloody romantic. I have a script to work on so I can win the bird award."

"Hmm, of course. I'm sure they'll love your tenth eleventh Western movie." Grooves is smiling softly, even as the Conductor huffs, "Peck off."

Cooper stares and, ultimately, decides that he won't ask when this happened and just chooses to be happy for them.

\----

"So, who won the bet?"

Jerry glances up, clicking his beak before he says, "Well, not sure what day they got together. Would you like to ask them?"

There is a universal no.

"What do we do then?" Boris asks, crossing his arms. Jerry smiles as he slowly opens the book, "Well, there's always when they propose."

There is a pause before Dinah says, "Two weeks."

"Five days."

"A year."

Jerry writes down each one, smiling the whole time.


	21. roses are falling for you

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, this has been a wild ride. I think I did a pretty good job, considering this is the first multi chapter fic I've ever written. There are things I wanted to do and other things I just got rid of, but, ultimately, I had a fun time. I wanna thank all of you for reading and supporting me and I'm glad we were able to have this journey together. Thank you all so much for enjoying this.

The desert is cold at night, dark and painted with hues of blue. The Conductor works quickly to make a fire, sighing in relief when it rages up. Grooves waits for him, sitting on a blanket as he watches.

"You okay?" He asks, and the owl glances at him and smiles. "Yeah...I wanna do this."

It's been a year since the Birdhouse. A year since him and Grooves kissed, held each other. A year since the pool and watching movies together. They still fight, of course they do, but now they can be close to each other, and the teasing is different.

And when Grooves won the last award and the Conductor got second, he had kissed him in front of everybody, teasing he'll win it next year. And he's still proud, that their studio is the best studio in bird cinema, that no one is better than the Conductor and DJ Grooves.

The fire crackles and the Conductor remembers why he's here. He stares at it, and after a moment, pulls out a photo. A black and white picture of his mother stares back, her eyes looking up at the camera in what can be described as surprise. She's younger, looks like how he's never seen her before. Curious, in awe, so young. Behind her, is the edges of the forest, dark and alluring.

Before she died, she had given this to him and told him to burn it. He never did, because he knew why. He knew that, somewhere, his father would know, would feel it. And he hated the thought, the mere idea of it. He still feels bitter and his hands grip the photo tightly.

Grooves gently touches his back. He didn't even hear him get up. He looks up at him and with a sigh, he tosses the picture into the fire.

It lights instantly, the smoke growing slightly to reach up into the dark sky. Smoke trails up, curling up as if hugging an old friend. He feels the wind pick up, and distantly, as if in his head, he hears a song.

_ So I'll continue to continue to pretend _

_ My life will never end _

_ And flowers never bend _

_ With the rainfall _

He sighs, as the wind whips past him, and the fire chases it. It dies out, slowly and calmly, and he watches it, watches the smoke drift over to the branches of Subcon far away. He hears that melody dancing with it and he knows that it's her, going back to him, wherever he is.

In the darkness of night, DJ holds his hand, gently guiding him back to the blanket. He easily leans against the other, finding comfort in that warmth.

"Good?" He asks, quietly in his ear.

"Good." He mumbles back. He gently rests his head on the penguin, who stares up at the stars. At night, they glow across the sky, like tiny scars opening up the darkness. He can see the moon up there, so far, and he runs his hand over DJ's chest.

"Sing for me?" He asks.

"Of course." DJ says it so fondly, lovingly, before he sings. His voice echoes in the desert, beautifully, as beautiful as the stars above. Conductor recognizes the song quickly, the one that the penguin sang a year ago, at the Birdhouse. The one that tipped it all over and in the end, led them to the pool, where they kissed.

It relaxes him. He lays there, listening to that voice, and when it's over and it's just them quietly laying together, the Conductor says, "I love you."

It's the first time he's said it. It's always been so hard to say, all his anxieties stopping him. But it feels right, it feels warm and pleasant, and he loves how DJ gasps and kisses him, soft and gentle.

DJ feels like home, and the Conductor cannot help but smile.


End file.
